The Case of Butcher's Den
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: When Judy and Nick are tasked with investigating what has been considered nothing more than a scary urban legend, they are shocked to discover a secret society of predators practicing the greatest taboo of them all- carnivorism. Will the duo survive when they face the most formidable foe Zootopia has ever had, the natural food chain? Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Oh boy. Here we go! XD**

 **So this is quite unusual for me… This is my first non-Lion King fanfic, and I must say I am very excited and curious about how it turns out.**

 **I liked Zootopia from the start, although there are some parts of the plot that leave you wondering. I'm planning to focus on one of the more 'controversial' questions which, as I have noticed, doesn't receive as much attention as other issues. That is- the question of how do predators and prey get along in Zootopia since, naturally, the former used to eat the latter?**

 **So we know that in this universe, animals (or at least most mammals) have evolved beyond the need to sustain themselves by consuming meat. But what if there were some predators who wanted that process reversed to, you know, the** _ **natural way**_ **? As we were able to see in the movie, the social order and political correctness of Zootopia are extremely fragile, and any possible threat that emerges causes its animal citizens to tremble with fear.**

 **So we will imagine what would happen if the threat of** _ **'carnivorism'**_ **actually became a thing. Obviously, the ones who are going to have to save Zootopia from another crisis are our favorites, Nick and Judy. But when predators start having an appetite for steak, will the two ZPD officers survive unharmed? And so, in this dark time of the year, I invite you to join me in a** _ **noir**_ **story from the land of Zootopia XD**

* * *

 **Zootopia:**

 **The Case of Butcher's Den**

* * *

" _ **Because we are all steak"**_

 _ **\- King Julien XIII**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Officer Nicholas Wilde of the Zootopia Police Department leaned over the hood of his brand new Stallion Firebird Convertible and gazed at its shiny ruby-red paint which reflected the morning sun.

 _Yup. A law-enforcer's job ain't easy, but at least the pay, plus performance bonuses, is almost as good as my former occupation, heh-heh… -_ he said to himself in his thoughts.

By now, he'd been able to pay off the loans he took out in order to pay for his tuition at the Police Academy, and was finally able to serve himself for a change with the help of a couple months' worth of savings. After all, buying a dream vehicle is nothing bad… especially that he did it completely legally.

Beaming with pride in the middle of the Zootopia Police Headquarters' parking lot, he took a look at his watch. It was five-to-seven AM.

 _Well, better get goin'_ – he thought, saying goodbye to his red rocket. He then reached into his pocket and grabbed a pair of mirrored cop shades. Noticing a streak on one of the lenses, he proceeded to wipe it off using his tie.

"Darn, it is _hot_!" he whined, looking at the blazing sun. "It's barely morning, and it's already as bad as Sahara Square. Well, I just hope Sahara Square is not the place Judy and I will be going today…"

With a sigh, he took another look at the now-spotless lenses of his favorite pair of sunglasses. The sight of himself in his ZPD uniform always cheered him up. Although the navy-blue didn't quite match the green of his eyes as well as his old Junior Ranger Scout outfit from the days of his childhood, the shine of the golden badge with his name on it still made him feel way more proud.

He put the shades on to shelter his eyes from the morning sun, and then undid the top button of his shirt and loosened his tie a bit.

"Argh, I'm already exhausted!" he huffed a final complaint and, with his hands in his pockets, continued walking over to the entrance to the building.

"'Sup, Fangmeyer," he called out to his colleague, passing him by in the station's lobby.

"Mornin', Wilde!" the tiger responded to Nick's greeting, lifting up a cup of coffee. "Hey, I saw your new ride out there at the parking lot. Is that a Stallion Firebird? I didn't know they still made those… especially in your size."

The tiger's admiration caused a very enjoyable sensation inside the fox's heart…

"Yeah, they just came out with a new series. Keep saving up those bonuses and who knows, maybe you can buy yourself one someday?"

"Well, how about if you let me take your beauty out for a run one day? I guess I could fit in it if I tried real hard… How's that sound?" officer Fangmeyer asked, presenting a type of grin Nick had not seen him make before.

" _Ha_! And let you scratch the interior with those big sharp claws of yours? Keep dreamin', fuzzy!" he ridiculed the feline's idea jokingly as he passed him by. But what Nick failed to notice was that the expression of offence that appeared on his colleague's face after he said that was way more serious than his former smile…

Saying hi to his other co-workers as he made his way to the vending machine in the corner, the fox took out his wallet and bought himself a triple espresso. After almost two years of service, he still couldn't get used to rising this early in the morning. Carrying his coffee, he made his way to the front desk, where Judy, his partner, was engaged in a conversation with Officer Clawhauser… or rather, having her bunny ears talked off by Officer Clawhauser.

"Oh, oh! Here, take a look at this one!" exclaimed the cheetah enthusiastically as he extended his chubby arm to show officer Hopps something on his phone. – "Here's little Bobby and Jasmine, dressed in matching outfits! I helped my sister pick these personally. I think they look simply _adorable_! What do you think?"

"Yeah, sure, Benjamin. This one is even better than the last!" Judy gave the device back to Clawhauser, already exasperated by the fact that touching it was making the fur on her paws stick, as the phone was covered in powdered sugar.

"Ah, you really think so? Gee, thanks, Judy! I can always count on your opinion. You know, my sis is family, so I guess she wouldn't just say it to my face if she didn't like my suggestions… But now that I know what _you_ think, I can rest assured!"

The corpulent feline touched his chest with a sigh of relief, giving the rabbit just enough time to send Nick a quick look that said _'help me'_.

"Hey, how's it goin', everybody?" he swiftly broke into the two's dialogue, getting the message sent to him by his partner. "What ya got over there, Clawhauser?"

"Ben was just showing me pictures from his niece and nephew's first birthday," Judy explained.

"Oh, you mean the twins?" Nick vaguely remembered hearing about that earlier. Truth was, Clawhauser couldn't stop talking about his sister's children when they were born just a year ago, but since the fox didn't pay much attention to his constant tales about the twins, the only thing he remembered right now was that there _were_ indeed twins.

"Yes! Let me show them to you!" Clawhauser said, scrolling up to the very top of a _long_ photo album. This time, it was Nick who yelped in desperation… Seeing that, Judy just shrugged and smiled mischievously. "So here's little Bobby with his cake. Annnd here… here's little Jasmine with _her_ cake! My sister had two cakes made for each of the siblings. So she calls me a week ago, and she's like- _hey Benny, you just gotta help me out here!_ So I says- what's the problem, Janet? And then Janet is like- _oh, I was thinking about the twins' birthday. I mean, what are we gonna do with the cake? Should I put two candles on it, or just one? But if I put just one, which of the cubs should blow it out? What if it makes the other one think I favor the child that does the blowing more? This is so confusing…_ So then I'm like- Janet, dear, calm down. Don't be silly, nobody's gonna accuse you of liking one of your twins over the other! Say, why don't you just buy _two_ cakes? Or, better yet, order _two_ cakes, and I'll pay for one of them. I'll still bring presents for both Bobby and Jasmine, of course. I already bought those…"

"Say, Carrots!" Nick used the slightest _millisecond_ which Clawhauser needed to take another breath in order to address his partner, who was already starting to look terrified of the perspective of having to hear the same story a second time. "I wonder how such problems were taken care of in _your_ family. After all, how many siblings did you say you have… at the moment?"

"Very funny, Nick," Judy didn't like the fox's evident sarcasm. "I, _at the moment_ , have just as many sibling as I had after I graduated. Then my parents decided to stick with just 318."

The fox and the cheetah exchanged a communicative look after hearing that the rabbit had _just_ 317 siblings… Clawhauser decided to say something to ease the awkwardness.

"And, were there any twins?"

That question actually made officer Hopps laugh out loud.

"Haha! _Were there any twins?_ Obviously, you don't know much about rabbits, Ben…"

But Judy was not destined to describe the nuances of her species' reproduction that day, as before she was able to begin a new sentence, she and her colleagues heard the raspy voice of Chief Bogo.

" _Clawhauser!_ " yelled the buffalo, emerging from around the corner. "What have I told you about _eating at the counter_?!"

Caught red-pawed, the cheetah quickly hid a half-full box of donuts underneath his desk in a belated act of desperation, attempting to sooth his boss' anger with an awkward smile.

"Sorry, sir! Heh-heh, I _swear_ you won't see me doing that ever again! I mean… I swear I'll never _do_ it again. Yeah, that's what I meant! Not as if I would…"

As Clawhauser spoke, Chief Bogo charged. Nick and Judy had to step aside to make room for him. Then the boss stood in front of his frightened subordinate, and poked his chest with his hoof.

"Listen, Clawhauser. If I as much as hear about you tarnishing the good name of this institution by your unbridled gluttony, it's going to be the Archives for you! Do I make myself clear?!"

The cheetah hesitated for a second, biting his lip, but then waved his head so energetically it made all of his chins shake. He didn't utter a single word more.

"Good," said Bogo, turning around from the front desk and heading toward the briefing room door, in which everyone was already waiting for him.

"Jeez, somebody musta blown _his_ horn today…" whispered Nick as soon as the buffalo was out of earshot.

"Well, we better go," Judy summarized with a sigh, lifting her chin up dutifully. "Have a nice day, Benjamin!"

Nick sent the cheetah a reassuring nod, and then, grabbing his coffee cup, he caught up with Judy.

"Allow me," he said, reaching out to open the door to the briefing room for Judy.

But his courtesy was not to be rewarded, for as soon as the fox grabbed the door knob, somebody opened it from the other side so forcefully that it almost made Nick trip over his own tail. He groaned, barely able to maintain his balance and almost dropping his coffee to the floor, making his partner giggle at the sight.

"Oh. Sorry about that," said Chief Bogo, who was poking his head out of the room. Then he started yelling again. "And where are you two going?! Wilde, Hopps- I'll see you after the official briefing. In my office. Go there now and wait for me."

After that, he slammed the door in front of their faces.

"Wellll… this is unusual," said Judy, assuming a rather bitter expression.

" _Err_ , just when I thought this day started out alright... Okay, what did you do _this_ time?" Nick scolded her, putting one paw on his hip.

Then, suddenly, the door opened a second time, and Bogo's large head emerged from the briefing room yet again.

"One more thing. Wilde?"

"Uhm, yessir?" asked the fox.

"Take off those _ridiculous_ sunglasses, and cease making a show of yourself. I'll see you in five minutes."

The door slammed another time and, embarrassed by both his boss and Judy's jeering gaze, Nick had to take off his mirrored shades and obediently hide them in his pocket.

They walked over to Bogo's office in silence. When they were inside, Judy sat down on one of the chairs, while Nick, after taking a sip, put his coffee cup on the desk.

"I told you you shouldn't have tazed that bulldog the other day," he addressed his partner, mentioning what he thought was the reason Bogo wanted to speak to both of them in private.

" _Excuse me?_ " Judy asked, outraged. "I already told you, he was _resisting arrest_! And besides, you saw what he did when you told him to keep his paws in the air…"

"He was reaching _for his phone_!" Nick repeated, probably for the hundredth time. "Somebody texted him at that very moment. It's kind of an involuntary impulse, you know. You do the same thing."

"I do not!" the rabbit staunchly protested.

"Ah, never mind…" he waved a paw at her. Then he came up to a white board which was hanging on the wall of the office, which had magnetic markers on it in the form of letters. Some were not arranged in any particular order, but three of them on the side spelled the word 'BOS'.

"Oh, look at this," Nick commented. "How modest of Bogo. It's a shame he's missing a second S, though. But what if I rearrange the letters _juuust_ a little bit, so that the B and the S switch places…"

"Nick! Stop it!" Judy rebuked him, seeing what he was doing. "He's said he's going to be here in five minutes. If he sees you…"

"Chill out, Carrots!" the fox turned away from the white board, smiling. He then paced to the other side of the desk, took a look outside the window… and, suddenly, sat himself comfortably in the Police Chief's chair.

" _Nick!_ " his partner shrieked through clenched fangs.

But the fox remained unmoved by that.

"Hey, this is a very nice chair, actually. I wonder if this is real cowhide leather. _Ha!_ Get it? I wonder what Bogo keeps in his drawer…"

" _Uhh_ , you're worse than Clawhauser…" Judy covered her face with a paw. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Wow, look at this! Is this a _switchblade_?" Nick examined the first thing in the Chief's drawer that caught his attention. "I used to have one of these. I thought they were illegal, though."

"It might have been confiscated from someone."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it's his," stated the fox, trying to figure out a way to open the blade. When he unlocked the safety button, the knife made a loud CLICK! And revealed itself to actually be a…

"It's just a _comb_?!" – Nick whined in disappointment.

"Huh, well, I'm sure that's legal. Wait, what are you doing? Stop combing your fur with that thing! What's wrong with you? This is disgusting!"

All of a sudden, Judy's demeanor changed from one of irritation to that of genuine fear.

"I think he's coming!" she gasped, raising an ear, making sure what she heard was actually the sound of hooves on the steps. " _Quick!_ "

Without hesitation, officer Wilde threw the switchblade-comb back in the drawer, closed it, and then swiftly ran to the chair on the opposite side of the desk. As he did that, he accidentally knocked his coffee cup with his elbow, but was barely able to catch it before the whole thing fell to the floor. With a gasp of relief, he leaned over the side of the chair as the sound of doors opening could already be heard behind the duo's back, receiving a final angry look from his partner.

The buffalo entered the room without a word. Circling around Nick and Judy, he sat down in his chair and unfolded a file he was holding, laying out some papers and photographs on the surface of his desk. The tension in the room rose rapidly, at least from the perspective of the underlings.

During a long awkward silence, Judy attempted to take a peek at the documents her boss was shifting through, though unable to do that due to her short stature. Nick, however, was trying time after time to nonverbally catch Chief Bogo's attention. Finally, he spoke.

" _Uhh_ , sir? Are we in trouble?"

At first, the buffalo didn't pay attention to the fox's timid question. Finally, he blew air from his nostrils and, not lifting his eyes up from the file, said:

"Officer Wilde, you have not even began to scratch the surface of the _definition_ of trouble."

Judy and Nick looked at each other, and gulped.

"And, by the way," Bogo finally sent the fox a chilling gaze, folding his hooves, "I believe your shirt is undone".

Nick quickly buttoned the shirt and fixed his tie, wishing that, instead of playing with the things in Bogo's office, he had turned on the AC.

The Police Chief then grabbed a bunch of photos from the desk, handing them to Judy.

"We've received a request for caution, and possibly help, from the Horne County Police Department just outside of the city. It seems that they too, as we ourselves a couple of years ago, are suffering from a plague of mysterious disappearances."

Nick moved over to Judy's side to examine the photographs. What he saw was pictures of sheep, deer, antelope, and various large rodents.

"But… Sir, these are all prey animals," said the rabbit, visibly perplexed.

"Yes, all of them," Bogo agreed. "That makes the case even more interesting, doesn't it? Or rather, should I say, troublesome."

"Riiight…" said Nick. "So you want us to investigate the case of the missing prey, correct?"

The Chief gazed at him for a second, frowning. Then he responded:

"Incorrect. Let not your judgement be as fast as that new car of yours, officer Wilde. As I said, all of the disappearances occurred in Horne County which, I remind you, is outside of ZPD's jurisdiction."

Now both members of the duo looked at their boss in confusion…

"Sooo…" wondered Judy.

"What's the case, then?" asked Nick.

Bogo took a deep breath, and put his elbows on the desk.

"The _case_ , as I hope, is no more than that of an urban legend. Rumors circulating around the city. But disturbing rumors, nonetheless… You see, some of the citizens of Zootopia, who have heard of the alleged kidnappings in Horne County, have started spreading the word that there is a specific group of criminals responsible for those disappearances."

"What kind of a group?" Nick inquired.

"Is it the mafia?" Judy followed with another question.

" _No!_ " their boss yelled, slamming his fist into the desk. "Will you let me speak?! The problem is, it's neither of the criminal syndicates we are already familiar with. It's said that it is a… secret society. A very _specific_ secret society. Again, these are only rumors, and I will _not_ tolerate anyone spreading them outside of this room! Do you understand? All that you are about to hear is strictly confidential!"

The two officers nodded, yet deeply concerned with the fact that, actually, Bogo sounded as if he was not just angry, but also greatly disturbed himself.

"The rumor has it," he continued, keeping his voice down, "that Horne County is the home for a secret society of… _carnivores_."

The sound of the last word echoed around the room, yet was too terrible to actually comprehend.

" _Carnivores_? You mean, like, predators?" Judy asked, hardly able to believe her ears.

Nick released the air he was holding in his lungs for a while with a loud wheeze… Then he said:

"No, Carrots… Not just that. I think he means like, _actual..._ carnivores."

The rabbit remained silent for a while, blinking and frowning. Then she laughed, yet in a very strange way.

"Heh-heh… Ridiculous, right? I mean, there are no actual _carnivores_ anymore. You know, predators used to eat prey _thousands_ of years ago… Nobody actually _does_ that anymore… Right?"

Not receiving an answer, she raised her voice somewhat.

"Right?! I mean, this is nothing more than just a stupid rumor, correct? There isn't any hard evidence, or _anything_ of the sort, to prove that this _outrageous_ little urban legend is anything more than that- a… legend. _Right?_ "

"Right! Of course!" Nick and Bogo responded simultaneously.

"Sure, predators don't eat meat!" continued the fox. "As the only predator here, I can assure you that I have never, _ever_ eater, or even _thought_ about eating meat in my whole entire life! A-and same with all the other predators I have ever met. Heh-heh. Nothing more than a rumor. Nothing more than an unsubstantial, implausible urban legend…"

While Nick was still speaking, however, Chief Bogo, with a sigh, pulled something out of his back pocket. It was a piece of paper, which he unfolded and placed in front of the fox's eyes.

"… implausible… and… _unsubstantial_ …" Nick repeated, as his ears began to fall.

"A tiger brought this to one of the officers yesterday," spoke Chief Bogo silently. "He said he was given it by another member of his species he'd never seen before in one of the bars in the Rainforest District. With all the rumors going around, he said he thought it was _quite suspicious_. You can see for yourselves that he was right."

The piece of paper turned out to be a cheaply-printed flyer. It had some cartoonish pictures on it that didn't look like anything at first glance. On the left, there was a drawing of a bunch of carrot, an arrow, a picture of a rabbit, another arrow, and then a drawing of a fox. But it weren't the pictures that were the most disturbing thing about the flyer. No, that would be the words inscribed underneath them. And those read:

BUTCHER'S DEN

"What is that?" Judy asked, not sure of what this whole collage meant to signify.

"Well…" Nick answered awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "This appears to be something called a _natural food chain_."

"A _what_?" frowned the rabbit.

"You know, like it used to be, thousands of years ago. See- the carrots are being eaten by the rabbit, and then the rabbit is being… _eaten_... by the…"

"Your colleague is correct," Chief Bogo spoke, cutting into Nick's stammered explanation. "It appears that someone, and we don't know who, is trying to intimidate the citizens of Zootopia by spreading rumors that there exists a secret group trying to restore this… _natural food chain_. That there is a secret society of predators practicing _carnivorism_. A society called…"

" _Butcher's Den!_ " Nick and Judy read the words from the flyer simultaneously.

"Yes, that is right. And they're the ones supposedly responsible for the disappearances in Horne County."

"Too bad there's no address, or anything..." complained the rabbit.

"Whoah, whoah! Now let me get this straight," her partner cut her off, snorting and waving the piece of paper in front of his boss' face. "You want us to find whoever is spreading these rumors and distributing these flyers around town, amiright? Ha! And, what, just because there's a picture of a fox and a bunny on this darn thing?"

Bogo looked at him passionlessly for a while. Then he ripped the flyer straight from his paw and put it back on the desk.

"I was thinking more of taking into account the outstanding results both of you have achieved while working here, as well as _your_ wide network of connections in your former criminal environment, officer Wilde. But scratch that. Yes, I want the two of you to take care of this case because there is a picture of a bunny and a fox on this flyer."

Then Chief Bogo leaned forward, crushing his desk with the weight of his body so much that the wood started to crack.

"Now let me make this clear to you," he whispered very seriously, "I called the mayor today, informing him about our little discovery. He told me that, if this escalated, all of Zootopia will be thrown into _chaos_. It is now _your_ duty not only to keep this a secret, but also to find whoever is responsible for spreading these disgusting rumors and _arrest_ him before the peace between predators and prey is ruined yet again! Do you _understand?!_ "

The surface of the desk suffered yet another punch after that angry monologue. And the impact was so powerful that it made Nick's coffee cup tip over… The fox rushed to save the flyer from being drowned in coffee, while Bogo quickly gathered up the documents of the Horne County Disappearance case, doing the same.

" _Ehrm!_ Sorry!" said the Chief, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "I believe you get my point."

"I better go get a mop…" Judy mumbled.

"No, don't worry about it. Just call Clawhauser, he'll take care of it."

As Nick sadly observed his triple espresso going to waste, he noticed he was still pressing the _Butcher's Den_ flyer tightly to his chest. He examined it once more, realizing that it luckily did not get stained.

And then he noticed something.

A thought went through his mind that was as surprising as it was gruesome. Carefully, he lifted the piece of paper to his nose, and sniffed. The feeling intensified.

"Nick, what's wrong?" his partner asked him, noticing the frown that immediately covered his face.

"Uh, nothing," the fox answered dismissively. "I better put this thing in a bag."

Opening one of the sachets on his belt, he pulled out a plastic evidence bag, carefully placing the flyer inside.

"Say boss… Which officer did you say the tiger gave this to again?"

"Francine. Why do you ask?" Bogo inquired, trying to wipe a coffee stain from his shirt.

"Oh, just to know…" he said, then handing the evidence bag to the buffalo. "Would you mind getting this to the forensics lab to get it examined? Just to make sure."

"Yeah. Haven't thought about that," said the Chief. "Go get Clawhauser, I'll have him deliver it as soon as he cleans my office. Now, get moving! And remember, keep this whole 'Butchers Den' thing _confidential_! Go undercover whenever necessary."

As the duo left their boss' office, Judy couldn't shake the feeling that Nick was looking kind of strange. Deciding to cheer him up a bit, she whispered:

"Hey, some people's kids, right? Goin' around town, spreadin' rumors that there is a group of _carnivores_ kidnapping prey over in Horne County? _Puh_ , ridiculous… What next- a reptile infestation? I'm telling you, this must be _the_ most stupidest urban legend I have ever heard in my entire life…"

But Nick didn't answer. He was too deep in his thoughts. Finally, Judy pulled him by the sleeve of his shirt.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked in resentment.

" _Err_ , never mind, Carrots… You're right. It's nothing more than a stupid urban legend…" the fox responded, yet not too sincerely.

* * *

 **AN: So that's chapter one for you. How was it? Not too long? XD**

 **I'll do my best to respond to all reviewers, and to publish every couple of days. So please- let me know what you think, and I'll see you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for such a positive response to chapter 1, everybody! XD**

 **Here's what happens next.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Judy noticed that after Nick got himself another triple espresso, he calmed down a little bit. When they were walking through their station's parking lot, on their way to the squad car, she again attempted to start a friendly conversation.

"So that speed-rocket over there… It's yours, right?" she said, pointing toward her partner's new Stallion Firebird Convertible.

"Huh? Oh, that!" Nick answered as if snapping out of a daydream. "Yeah, it's mine. Brand new! What, you jealous?"

"No, not really. Of course, I personally think you're just trying to make up for something... Have you been wondering if your fur doesn't have that bright shade of red you wish it had, maybe?"

The fox snorted before opening the passenger door to their own vehicle, and Judy knew he was back to normal.

"Well, I don't know, Carrots," he answered sarcastically. "Maybe I'm just trying to hide something behind the windshield of a Convertible, just like you're trying to hide your own fragile, emotional fuzzy-wuzzy cotton-tailed bunny self under the getup of a police officer?"

"Oh, stop it!" Judy laughed, playfully slapping him on the elbow.

"Ey, watch out! I don't wanna spill my coffee again, okay?" Nick responded, placing the beverage in the cup-holder.

"So where'd you get the car? Did you buy it from Flash, or something?"

"Heh, no, fuzzbrain! Still, I'm sure I'd be able to reach 115 miles per hour easily driving that baby. Who knows, maybe if we do go undercover, we could take her out for a spin?"

Nick fastened his seatbelt, and Judy did the same. And then there was silence.

"So…" said she, "where're we going?"

" _Hmm_ , that's a good question," wondered the fox, rubbing his chin. Then he exclaimed: "Oh, darn it! Darn it, darn it!"

"What's wrong?" Judy narrowed her eyes.

When Nick turned to her again, he was looking just as concerned as he was when they were leaving Chief Bogo's office.

"I just realized something," he gasped. "This might be painful, but if we're going to solve this case… _Uhh_. Okay, drive us down to Tundratown."

" _Tundratown_? How come?"

Nick hesitated, turning to his coffee cup instead of answering. Then, after taking a hefty swig, he said:

"We're gonna have to contact Mr. Big."

Now that was an odd proposition. After their last visit in Tundratown, Nick and Judy agreed that they should stay away from Mr. Big and his… _business_. Especially since they were both cops now.

"But why?" asked the rabbit. "I thought we weren't going to see him again. Can't we just start by calling Finnick, or Weaselton, or some other of your former friends?"

"Carrots, don't you get it?!" Nick suddenly surprised her by raising his voice and slamming his paw on the dashboard. "Finnick and Weaselton are nothing but small-time thugs. They stay away from true crime for fear of being eaten up by the sharks that roam in those waters. But this… this case we're on… it's way more serious."

This time, also Judy's ears fell flat on her back.

"But I thought you said you believed that Butcher's Den was just an urban legend…"

"Yes, well, I'm not completely sure about that, actually," Nick answered before taking another sip of espresso.

"I saw you sniffing the flyer. Why did you tell Bogo to get it examined? Did you smell something?"

The fox gasped, lowering his head.

"Yeah, maybe. Never mind, it might just be nothing."

"Well, why couldn't anyone else sense anything, then?"

"Because all the other cops who saw that darn flyer were prey animals, _alright?!_ " this time, Nick basically screamed. "Now would you please start the car and _get going?_ "

"Okay, okay!" Judy tried calming him down as she turned on the ignition. "You know, to me you sound like you're afraid of something. Like that whole carnivore thing is getting to you."

"It's not _getting_ to me…" the fox, ashamed of his own reaction, groaned in discontent, "… and I'm not afraid, okay? I'm just… _concerned_. Some things concern me more than even Mr. Big. Now please, Carrots. Let's go to Tundratown."

"Right on," she responded, hitting the gas.

As soon as they drove off the parking lot, Nick put his sunglasses on and unbuttoned his shirt.

"I can't believe the _nerve_ of that guy… Bogo doesn't even _wear_ a tie!" he whispered to himself.

As they made their way down the highway in silence, Judy couldn't shake a certain feeling of discomfort. To her, carnivores were just a rumor. But if Nick was feeling so serious about this case… Could there be any reality to the myth?

No. She quickly dismissed the thought. She wouldn't let the panic which this story carried with it also affect her. That would have been completely unprofessional. What she needed to do, however, was to solve this case. And in order for that to happen, she and her partner needed to get some info- from Mr. Big.

The polar bear guard at the gate of the millionaire's mansion in Tundratown did not look too happy when he saw the squad car. He didn't take too kindly to Judy flashing her badge in front of him, demanding to see his boss, either. He only let them on the driveway after Nick spoke with him extensively, explaining what the case was.

When they got out of the car, Judy noticed that her companion was visibly shaking.

"Heh-heh, good thing we're wearing fur, right?" Nick tried to jokingly dismiss her concern. He then attempted to take another sip of coffee, only to find out that his cup was already empty. He decided to leave it in the car, and after another thought, he also decided to leave his cop shades behind, as well.

As they walked through the snow, they could already see who was waiting for them in front of the door to the mansion. It was Koslov.

"So what are you gonna say to him?" whispered the rabbit.

"That's not important," the fox whispered back. "What's important is that _I'll_ say it. You just stay put!"

When they approached Mr. Big's bodyguard, Koslov welcomed them with a gaze as cold as the Tundratown weather.

" _Pree-vyet_ , Boris!" Nick spoke with staged enthusiasm, and a lot of stammering. " _Kak tvoy syn?_ Uh _… zdorovy? Horoshaya tsyep_ …"

The polar bear raised his paw, making him silence instantly. Then, in his deep voice and heavy accent, he spoke.

"Nicky. I will ignore both your slaughtered pronunciation, and this new outfit you are wearing, which is not usually pleasing to the eyes around this property. Mr. Big wishes to see you, although that surprises me. Come."

And so, without much more ceremony, they were led to the crime lord's office. Nick couldn't keep his knees from shaking, no matter how hard he tried.

Mr. Big was already waiting for them, sitting in his chair, wearing a fancy suit. As soon as both officers stood before him, he stretched out his paw. Nick and Judy kissed his tiny ring with a smile.

"Mr. Big, we're so so sorry for…" the fox attempted to begin an apology, but he was motioned to stop.

"Nicky, Nicky…" sighed the most powerful Arctic shrew in Zootopia. "What am I gonna do wit' you? I am a businessman, I have little time to spare… You come 'ere, at eight in the mornin', dressed like dis… I have an appearance to keep up, Nicky. You must understand…"

The trembling officer was almost ready to deliver another explanation, but then Mr. Big continued.

"… den again…" he turned to Judy, smiling, "… how can I refuse my granddaughter's godmother, and kick 'er out into the cold like dat? Now dat would be… disrespectful."

"Thank you, Mr. Big!" the rabbit demonstrated a flattered grin. "How is little Judy doing?"

"Good, good," answered the crime lord. And then he dropped his smile. "It seems to me dat _you're_ not doin' too well yourselves, however. I mean, why else would the ZPD need my help, after all? It's a shame the police can't take care of their own business, as we do. It didn't use to be dat way. But still, you're here to ask me for another favor, and who knows? Maybe someday, I'll ask you back."

After waiting a second to make sure that Mr. Big was done speaking, Nick decided that his turn finally came.

"The case is _very_ serious, Mr. Big. We are, actually, in desperate need of your assistance."

"Now I find _dat_ easy to believe, Nicky. What I find _hard_ to believe is dat you can ever bring before me anything so serious that I _couldn't_ take care of it, _heh-heh_. If you know what I mean. So what do you seek?"

The fox and the rabbit shared a gaze. Afterward, Nick took a deep breath, swallowed, and said:

"W-we seek information about Butcher's Den."

After those words echoed within the room, there was a moment of heavy, unsteady silence. Both officers noticed that all of the bodyguards started frowning.

A while later, Mr. Big made a sound that might have been a groan of deep discontent. Then he pointed at Koslov, summoning him. The huge bear bent over, letting his boss whisper in his ear.

"But sir, at eight in the morning?" he could be heard saying.

After Mr. Big nodded, the bear went over to a bar in the corner, carefully filled up a tiny glass, and handed it to the shrew. The crime lord took a sip, put the glass down, and sighed.

"Why do you need dis kind of information?" he turned to Nick.

"Twenty-three prey animals have disappeared in Horne County throughout the last six months. There have also been... rumors circulating around town, sir. The people are starting to get scared. Plus, someone has been distributing flyers…"

"Flyers?"

"Uh, yessir."

" _Flyers_ , you say?" a note of anger appeared in Mr. Big's voice. Turning his eyes at Koslov, he uttered: "The carnivores… dey must be tryin' to recruit new members!"

Now those were words that sent a shiver down both Nick and Judy's spines…

" _Ca-carnivores_?" the rabbit mentioned the name of a myth that has just become much less mythical.

Mr. Big took another sip from his glass.

"Oh Nicky, Nicky… some new profession you chose for yourself, _Dio mio_ … Come 'ere."

Completely stunned, he fox bent down and moved his head as close to the shrew's chair as he was possibly capable of. Surprisingly, the crime lord stretched out his paw, and patted him on the cheek in a fatherly manner.

"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into, my boy. Still… perhaps you can do somethin' about all dis madness?"

"What are you talking about?" Judy inquired, now curious to the extreme.

Mr. Big opened his paws, and shrugged.

"Children, I won't lie to ya. I trust you'll keep dis to yourselves, but the business I've been involved in for a number of years has not always been… _legal_ , in the conventional sense of the word. But there are things which even I wouldn't touch wit' a six-inch toothpick…"

"What can you tell us about these carnivores?" Judy inquired seriously, as if during an interrogation, after which Nick poked her on the side with his elbow.

Mr. Big laughed, but rather dryly.

"Please, don't pressure me for details. You won't get any. What I will give you is, perhaps, a name. A person whom you can seek out, who might tell you more. But be warned. Dis path which you want to go down, is a dark one. As I told you before, we're all still notin' but animals deep down inside… and some of us more dan the others."

"We're ready for anything," the rabbit assured him, although her partner looked less confident. But Nick was also waiting for any info the crime lord could provide them with.

"Very well," said Mr. Big, looking away toward the window. "There was an employee of mine, who had a very… _specific_ and _delicate_ purpose, if you follow me. A professional, I must say. Always got the job done, exactly the way I ordered… Clean an' discreet. Dere was just one problem dat always bothered me, however. It was the membership of dat individual in the society you call _Butcher's Den_. A dreadful thing, I know… but I did not hire dat person for the sake of a high moral standard, after all. It wasn't my place to complain. An' den, one day, dat valuable accomplice comes to me and says, _Mr. Big, I can't do dis no more. Dis is wrong. I wanna quit_. Now I respect dat, you know. I'm not heartless, despite what some might think of me. So dis employee of mine quits the job, quits the life… an' den, as I later find out, also leaves dat little club. The carnivores are furious, dey lose one of their own, they shake their tails in fear of bein' exposed… but I give dat individual protection. It was well earned. Now, if you want to hear a name, you gotta promise me dis. _No harm is done to dat person_. Not by the cops, not by anyone. Penance has already been fulfilled in dat individual's life, an' dere's no need for more of it. So do we have a deal?"

"Yes, most certainly, sir!" Nick assured him, shaking his head energetically.

"Who is he?" Judy inquired.

Mr. Big demonstrated a delicate smirk.

" _Hm_. _He_? Who said anythin' about a _he_? I wouldn't suspect _you_ of dese kinda assumptions, officer Hopps, _heh-heh_. Anyway, the female you're lookin' for hardly ever used 'er real name back when we were in business together… But I know a lot. _Mathilda Blacktail_ 's the one you're after. You're gonna have to find 'er on yer own. Dat is all. Now, if you excuse me…"

Mr. Big stretched out his paw again, and Nick and Judy quickly kissed his ring to deliver their goodbye.

"Thank you, sir! We are in your debt," said the fox.

"Yeah, well, the best way you can repay me is by puttin' those carnivores behind bars… or better yet- makin 'em sleep wit' the fishes. Go now. All of us have important work ta do."

As Judy walked down the hallway back to the exit to the mansion, with Nick at her side and Koslov on her heels, she repeated the name of the witness to herself.

"Mathilda Blacktail, Mathilda Blacktail, Mathilda Blacktail… Can't forget. Any of you got a pen and paper?"

Looking her way, her partner shrugged.

"Don't you have that carrot-shaped recorder-pen on you?" he asked.

"I left it in the car."

When the polar bear opened the door for them, and Judy rushed to the parking lot, Koslov touched Nick's shoulder and made him stay behind.

"Nicky, wait," he said.

"Uh, what's up, Boris?" the fox looked at him, perplexed.

The huge animal crossed his arms on his chest, piercing the police officer with a serious stare.

"For old times' sake, let me give you word of warning. If you find Matilda, you will also find people who will make my boss look like saint to you. Take care of yourself, and your bunny partner, too."

Feeling that his knees started shivering again, the only word that the fox could squeeze out of his constricted throat was a muted:

" _Spasiba_."

* * *

 **AN: So there's more to this 'rumor' than our duo of cops initially thought… 'Mathilda Blacktail' is, of course, a reference to Mathilda from 'The Professional'. You can probably guess what kind of 'services' she used to provide to Mr. Big XD**

 **Also, Nick speaking (or trying to speak) to Koslov in Russian is a reference to the Polish dubbing of the movie, in which he actually** _ **does**_ **speak Russian to one of the polar bears in the limo scene, which is hilarious (he refers to the bear as 'Vladimir'). What he says in the fic is, roughly:** _ **hi, Boris! How's your son? Okay? That's a nice chain you got.**_ **And** _ **spasiba**_ **means 'thank you'.**

 **Oh, BTW, I haven't been naming the particular chapters this time. Please let me know if you suggest doing otherwise, or if you have any other suggestions ;) All reviews will be greatly appreciated!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: _Ha!_ Sorry about all the unnecessary hyphens in the earlier chapters. I fixed that now. Thanks for the heads-up! Please let me know if there's anything else that you'd like to point out XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

The drive from Tundratown was done in silence, as both Nick and Judy were completely preoccupied by the rather gloomy thoughts that invaded their minds after what they heard from Mr. Big.

For some reason, Judy couldn't get the image of a certain individual back from her home village out of her mind. Gideon Grey. He was the only predator to ever physically harm her, and she could still hear the words he said right before he did that: _us predators used to_ _eat_ _prey. And our killer instinct's still in our duh-nuh_. Of course, what Gideon meant to say was that the predators' primal instincts for killing were still embedded somewhere in their DNA. She thought she'd learned that this wasn't really true. She thought that both Nick Wilde, and the reformed Gideon she met later, had successfully cured her from her prejudice against foxes, as well as all predators… But _now_ … after _this_ …

Nick, on the other hand, couldn't get rid of his own set of painful thoughts. First of all, the feeling of having a muzzle around his snout, which he was exposed to as a child by the kids from the Junior Ranger Scouts… Then, he couldn't stop thinking of another thing. After what they'd both learned at the mansion, was Judy afraid of him again? If she was, he feared that he would no longer have any reason to blame her for it, as he had before. And that could mean that their partnership would soon be over.

Finally, Judy decided to speak. But the dialogue she started turned out to be extremely awkward.

"So… You were right, Mr. Big _was_ indeed helpful. Now we know that _Butcher's Den_ isn't just an urban legend after all..."

"Yeah…" Nick answered in a sorrowful whisper.

"… and that carnivores really _do_ exist," Judy continued. "Boy, now that is _messed up_ , am I right? Heh-heh…"

"Yeah. There really is a _them_ , after all…" the fox was rather unfazed by his partner's desperate attempt to turn all of this into a joke. He then sighed, and looked at Judy seriously. "Listen, Carrots. I-I think I oughtta apologize to you."

"Apologize? For what?" the rabbit glared back at him strangely from behind the steering wheel. Nick was looking devastated, and that made her feel really sad.

"What you said about predators during that press conference…" he began, though with great difficulty. "You know, during the whole night howler crisis. It seems that… y-you were right. All along. We predators do still have… aggressive hunting instincts… hidden away in our biology…"

Judy reacted to those words so suddenly she almost crashed their car. Honking could be heard from behind as they continued driving.

"Nick, _what are you saying?!_ " she gasped in terror. "That's _not_ true, you know it isn't!"

Both of them started speaking at the same time now, which resulted in a complete mess.

"Yes, yes it is, Carrots… And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for accusing you of being a speceist. I was wrong. Clearly, some of us _are_ reverting to our savage ways, and you have all the reasons in the world to be afraid…" argued the fox.

"Nick, no! _No!_ Listen to me, I don't know what's going on in these carnivores' minds… They must be taking the night howler serum, or something! Clearly, not _all_ predators are like them. They _can't_ be. _You're_ not like them. I mean… I-I'm not afraid of you!"

"No, it's okay… It's _okay_ , Carrots! This really does not change anything between you and me! I'm not offended. Listen. I'm really _not_ offended! Those missing animals from Horne County… We can assume they're all dead. And it's predators who are responsible for both kidnapping, and killing them…"

"We don't know that yet! Nick, you're starting to panic! That's exactly what Chief Bogo was warning us about!"

Judy had to pull over and stop the squad car. This conversation, during which both of them were trying to voice their concerns simultaneously, was leading nowhere. Finally, after taking a few second long break and a series of deep breaths, Nick proposed:

"Maybe we should just focus on solving the case, _eh_?"

"Great idea!" Judy happily agreed with him, relieved, and started the car again. "Let's get back to the station. We need to find this _Mathilda Blacktail_."

" _Officer Wilde, you have not even began to scratch the surface of the definition of trouble,_ " her partner mumbled to himself, quoting what Chief Bogo told him earlier that day, while turning his head away and looking out the window. " _Uhh_ … I sure could go for a smoke right now…"

The path they were about to follow was indeed a dark one.

When Nick and Judy came back to the police station, they were enthusiastically welcomed by officer Clawhauser, who asked them how their day was coming along. The corpulent cheetah was a bit disappointed to see their long faces. The duo of partners told him that they are not authorized to speak to anyone about the case they were assigned to, and asked if Chief Bogo was in his office. The slightly crestfallen Clawhauser replied in the negative, informing them that their boss had left about an hour earlier.

The rabbit and the fox then made their way to one of the computer labs to look up the name _Blacktail_ in the ZPD database.

"Well, we're in luck, for once," Judy announced after sifting through the files briefly. "There's only one Mathilda Blacktail in the whole city. It says here she's a wolf, 43 years old, and… and here's the bad news."

"She lives at 2612 Fly Street," Nick ready the witness' address, looking over Judy's shoulder. " _Fantastic_. That's somewhere in the Hive!"

"Yup. Seems that way…" confirmed the distraught bunny.

The Hive was a small district consisting of a section in the lower blocks of Sahara Central where all those who didn't make it big in the city lurked… or those who preyed on the ones who _did_ make it big. It was a section of Zootopia known for low rent and high crime.

Nick and Judy looked in each other's eyes, and…

"WE'RE TAKING YOUR CAR!" they both said _almost_ at the same time.

"I was first!" the rabbit declared triumphantly and, to the fox's dismay, truthfully.

"Ah, c'mon, Carrots! You want me to drive my brand new Stallion down to the Hive?!" whined Nick in desperation. "I haven't even paid it off yet!"

"Well, it's either that or our patrol car, you know… And I suppose we better do this one undercover, just for safety's sake," his partner attempted to convince him. "Just make sure to close the roof. And shut the door... Worst case scenario, if it gets stolen, both of us _are_ cops, after all!"

"Yeah, thanks. That helps a lot," the fox sighed begrudgingly, putting his paw to his forehead.

"Well, we better be on our way, then," Judy stated.

"You go ahead. Drive home, get some civilian clothes on. I'll pick you up in an hour, okay? I still got something I need to do."

"Alright, sounds good."

Wondering about what her partner was going to be busy with, Judy got into her own car and drove over to her apartment in Grand Pangolin Arms. There she took of her uniform, changing into a simple t-shirt and jeans. She then called her parents, but since she couldn't disclose anything about the case to them, their conversation consisted mostly of small-talk about how the heat was affecting this year's carrot harvest.

Around ten-thirty AM, she heard her phone's text message signal, immediately reaching for it to her back pocket.

"Hm. I guess it _is_ an involuntary impulse, after all," she estimated.

The message was from Nick, and read: " _w8n 4 u_ ".

Looking outside of her tiny window, she could see his blood-red Stallion Firebird Convertible parked in front of the building.

"It would really be a shame if that car got stolen," she thought as she entered the elevator.

When she opened the car door, she was surprised to see that Nick was still wearing his uniform.

"You're not going in like this, are you?" she asked, confused.

"I always got my normal clothes in a bag in the trunk. Didn't have time to change yet," said the fox, sounding strangely serious.

"What have you been doing?" said Judy as she fastened her seat belt.

Nick started the car and began driving. Only then did he respond, but not before issuing another worried sigh.

"I went down to the forensics lab to ask about the flyer…" he began.

"And?"

"Well, it turns out that it's actually more than just a piece of paper with some stupid images on it. That thing is _literally_ meant to attract predators to join Butcher's Den."

"How come?" Judy narrowed her eyes, very concerned with her partner's cryptic explanation.

Nick's throat was parched and dry, and he had a feeling as if his tongue was stuck to the bottom of his mouth. His hands were shaking slightly, and he was feeling nauseous.

"The flyer…" he stuttered, "… was covered in a thin layer… of blood."

" _Blood?!_ " his partner yelped in shock.

"Yeah, talk about weird, right? They're still trying to estimate the exact species the blood came from, but they're pretty sure it was a… a prey animal."

Judy realized something, and when she did, she didn't like it in the least.

"Wait a minute. Is... is that why you could smell that there was something odd about that flyer? And that neither Francine, nor Chief Bogo, nor I, could? Because we're not… you know. Predators?"

Suddenly, instead of answering, Nick began attempting to take his tie off with one hand.

"Heh-heh, you know what, Carrots?" he laughed very uncomfortably. "Remember what you said about focusing on solving the case? You were right about that. So how about we do just that, hm?"

"Uh, yeah, sure…" the rabbit, completely bedazzled, responded to her partner's awkward grin with her own, which was no less awkward.

As Nick continued driving, he felt glad about not having to speak to Judy about the blood on the flyer. Somewhere inside, however, he sensed that she understood, anyway. Yes, he could smell the blood of prey on the paper because he was a predator. And yes, that was proof that there still _were_ some hunting instincts even in his own biology. But the other thing he realized, he just had to keep to himself. He just couldn't confess to his friend that he was feeling exactly the same thing as when he saw Judy bleeding after she tripped in the Museum of Natural History, when they were running away from Dawn Bellwether and her thugs. He just couldn't confess to her that he was…

That he was _attracted_ to the smell of blood.

Judy herself, on the other hand, focused more on the depressing area they were now surrounded by- the shabby, run-down, graffiti-covered buildings, many of which were abandoned, the overturned trashcans, the suspicious characters walking around, gazing greedily on the fancy car that was driving down the street…

When they finally got to their destination, Nick turned the engine off and, assuming another insincere smile, said to Judy:

"I don't suppose you brought a bullet-proof vest, did you?"

"I'm afraid not," she responded, smiling back.

"Didn't think so..."

The fox then sighed and, making sure no-one was watching, got out of the car and quickly returned with a big bag he pulled out of the trunk. He then proceeded to unbutton the shirt of his uniform.

" _Err_ , how about I move to the back seat…" Judy decided, pointing out how embarrassing this situation was for her.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry!" Nick gasped, blushing. "I-I don't know what's happening to me today. My brain must be tired…"

Indeed, it was. After his partner sat behind him, he put on his old slacks, shirt and tie, taking another deep breath before saying:

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Alright," Judy stated dutifully. "Let's go get that wolf, then."

When they got out, Nick proceeded to carefully lock his precious vehicle.

"Sheesh, I really can't stand this heat…" he complained as he did so.

"Do you ever wash that shirt?" the rabbit asked him sarcastically, deciding that a change of topic would serve them well.

"Hey, I've got more than just one of these, you know!" he responded, staging offence. "The fact that someone's a bachelor in his thirties doesn't necessarily mean he can't do his own laundry!"

"I'm just kidding. You look _and smell_ okay. Well, average, at least."

With a snort, Nick opened for her the door of the apartment building at 2612 Fly Street. And it didn't take long for them to see that this was definitely not a palace…

Behind a dilapidated, dirty counter there stood a bored receptionist- a middle-aged stag who, for some reason, had only one antler on his head (which made him look like an impoverished version of a unicorn). He also had a black eye, and was cooling himself with a little battery-powered fan.

"What can I do for ya?" he said in a raspy voice.

Nick approached the deer with a staged smile, laying his paws on the counter.

"Hi there. My girlfriend and I were wondering if you could help us."

"Yer _girlfriend_?" the receptionist interrupted him with a fair dose of astonishment. Judy herself had to hold herself in not to laugh.

"Yeah, bucko. You got a problem with that?" Nick's voice was filled with just the slightest note of warning.

The deer looked back from him to Judy… and then shrugged.

"Hey dude, whatever floats your boat. Who am I to judge? After all, this is _Zootopia_. So you guys looking for a place to stay, or what?"

"Uhm, not exactly," Judy joined the conversation, standing on her toes so that the stag could see her face. "We were actually wondering if you could help us find someone. She's our old friend, and we think she lives in this building. Her name is Mathilda Blacktail."

" _Ha_! You're friends with Mathilda?" the receptionist responded with a hearty laugh. "Jeez, and I almost thought that ol' lone wolf didn't _have_ any friends! She lives in apartment 26D. Second floor. Elevator's down the hall and on yer left."

"Thanks a lot, sir!" Nick and Judy thanked the deer, happy that part of the investigation went easy.

When they were already in the elevator, the rabbit turned to her partner, narrowing her eyes.

"So, where'd you come up with that _boyfriend-girlfriend_ scenario, hm?"

A slight smirk appeared in the corner of the fox's mouth.

"Hey, I used to be a con artist for most of my life, remember? It just comes naturally. Besides, in this city, the weirder you present yourself as, the less suspicious people find you to be."

Happy that her partner's mood and focus had improved, Judy followed him to apartment 26D.

"You ready?" she asked as they stood in front of the door.

"Well, let's just hope this leads us somewhere… preferably, far away from the Hive," answered the fox, and then started knocking.

But before Nick's knuckles were able to hit the shabby wood more than once, the door suddenly opened a bit. What came from the inside was the barrel of a .44 Magnum, which kissed the undercover officer on the nose before he or Judy could as much as utter a word.

"Two things, fox," said the voice at the end of the paw that held the gun. "Who sent you, and whaddya want. You've got roughly three seconds to answer, or I'm gon' blast yer brains out."

* * *

 **AN: Notice how in Zootopia even cops never use actual guns. Of course, veiled mentions of drugs, nudity, inter-species unions and jokes about 'multiplying' are okay in a kids' film, but a simple .44 Magnum is not. Well, not in _my_ fic! XD**

 **In the movie, after Judy's press conference, I was surprised to see Nick's violent reaction to what she said. After all, predators _do_ possess a biological setup which is meant to help them hunt and kill prey (this is why they can, for example, smell an injured bleeding animal from a mile away). Even though everyone in Zootopia is trying to deny it, or reasons that the mammals there have evolved beyond that, the fact that this may not exactly be true is the whole premise of this story.**

 **In other words, away with political correctness! XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Going deeper down the rabbit hole, we now proceed to enter the darkest sections of Zootopia.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

„D-don't shoot! I'm unarmed!" Nick stammered, throwing his paws in the air, wishing he'd really brought a bullet-proof vest with him that day.

Judy, though herself completely in shock, kept enough sobriety to be able to say in a relatively calm way:

"Mathilda Blacktail! We've been sent here by Mr. Big. Please put the gun down, we mean you no harm."

"Mr. Big?" wondered the she-wolf, yet still holding the revolver against poor Nick's head. "Why would he ever want to..."

"W-we assure you, ma'am," the fox stumbled with a shaky voice, "that if Mr. Big wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking right now…"

He didn't really know what he was saying, though it seemed to have worked.

"Hm. I guess that's right," said Mathilda, putting her Magnum away. "If he wanted to croak me, he wouldn't have sent amateurs. What'd he want now?"

"Let us in please, and let's discuss this peacefully, okay?" Judy proposed in a soft voice, ignoring the fact of being called an 'amateur'.

After sending them another investigative glance, the she-wolf mumbled:

"Fine. But I already told 'em, I'm through with my old job. There ain't no way he can convince me to go back."

"No worries, ma'am. This is about something else," the rabbit promised her.

As Nick tried to calm his beating heart, Mathilda Blacktail let both him and his partner into her apartment. They were then able to notice that her tail wasn't black at all. It was dark grey, like the rest of her haggard fur, and had a big bandage dangling at the very end. It seemed like almost half of it had been chopped off. Or shot off. Or chewed off.

The she-wolf was wearing a khaki tank-top with more stains and holes in it than actual fabric. Her house was the definition of run-down. There were dirty dishes and empty milk cartons lying all around, the blinds were closed shut, and the only source of light in the dim, stuffy room was a turned down TV and a single, fresh candle burning brightly in front of some sort of a shrine with photos and pictures of various animals cut out of newspapers. Mathilda casually cast her revolver on top of a table that already had on it something that looked like a disassembled sniper rifle, several handguns, and things like clips and silencers.

Closing the door behind his back, Nick couldn't help but remember the words Koslov spoke to him before they left Mr. Big's mansion: _if you find Mathilda, you will also find people who will make my boss look like a saint to you_.

He knew being a cop wasn't exactly a _safe_ occupation. But could it possibly get any worse than this?

Miss Blacktail sat down on an old couch, careful not to hurt her injured tail, and lit herself a cigarette.

"Go on, take a seat. You guys want a glass of milk or somethin'?" she asked between blows.

Both of them declined, pulling up chairs from the table while watching the tobacco smoke dancing in the hot air.

"So what does that old shrew wanna bother me with again?" the she-wolf inquired with the smoke dangling from her lip when they were finally facing each other.

"Erm, Mr. Big," Nick began after clearing his throat, "is very thankful for all of your… _work_ … and does not wish to burden you with a whole lot more, Ms. Blacktail. We just have a few simple questions about a certain… _group of animals_ … you might be familiar with."

Mathilda narrowed her eyes, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"What _kinda_ group of animals?"

This time, it was Judy's turn to speak.

"We need to find out more about a society called _Butcher's Den_. We understand that you could, perhaps, lead us to them, since you are said to be a former member of that organization?"

Suddenly, the wolf froze. Her eyes, staring at nothing in particular, began to water. Her lips started shaking, and she barely caught her cigarette before it fell to the floor.

"Miss Blacktail? Is everything… okay?" Judy asked, concerned with her reaction.

"I think she's having a…" Nick began to speak, but wasn't able to finish.

Shockingly to the duo of officers, Mathilda started crying. First, single sobs issued from her chest. But what followed was a painful howl of despair- so deep it made the neighbors knock on the walls.

"Crazy wolf! There she goes again!" an angry shout could be heard coming from another apartment.

Completely stupefied, Nick an Judy attempted to calm her down. But as soon as the first one of them touched her shoulder…

" _I'm sorry!_ " she roared, tears falling down her cheeks. "Oh God, I'm so sorry… So many lives, so many faces… For what?! Just to feed my unsatisfied appetite for money and… and _blood_! I'm _not_ coming back, ya hear?! I see them all, I see them at night! I hear their voices! They won't let me sleep!"

In a gesture of despair, Mathilda pointed toward the pictures in her shrine. Then she curled up, grabbing her knees, and hiding her face.

Nick and Judy, giving her some room, shared a look. The fox lifted his index finger to the side of his head, making a couple of circles. His partner, biting her lip, quickly nodded.

"But…" continued the she-wolf a bit more calmly, "… if Mr. Big wants to know about the carnivores, that must mean… _Ha_! That must mean that Butcher finally crossed him! Oh, I hope he gets iced! His cunning rhetoric about _integral naturalism_ and _restoration of the enefsee_ is gonna be good for nothin' when Koslov throws him into a frozen lake wearin' a nice new pair of concrete boots!"

Suddenly, sitting up straight and wiping her tears away, Mathilda looked at the two animals in front of her with a newfound hope in her eyes.

"That must be why he sent you! Oh please, tell me that Mr. Big wants to put an end to Butcher's madness once and for all!"

Leaping forward, she grabbed Nick's tie, making him flinch.

"Uh, yes ma'am! That's exactly why he sent us here…" Judy said gently touching her paw, persuading her to let her partner go.

"He did? Oh, thank God!" Miss Blacktail lifted her head up to the ceiling and grinned joyfully. She then howled, making the neighbors knock on the walls again.

"One of these day, Mathilda, someone oughta put a muzzle on you!" yelled a voice.

" _Er_ , yeah, he'll take care of this Butcher, as soon as he knows where he can find him…" mumbled the fox, fixing his crumbled shirt.

"Fine, then!" the she-wolf put her paws on her hips and the cigarette back in her mouth. "You gotta go to 537 Parrot Street in Ferndale, in Horne County. You'll find Butcher there. Send Mr. Big my sincere gratitude… and make sure to let that bloodthirst _scoundrel_ know that it was me who turned 'em in. I hope he burns in hell for what he did to me… and to so many others. That's the only revenge I can wish for."

The undercover cops were out of Miss Blacktail's apartment as soon as possible. Almost running out of the building, they were more than happy to find the Stallion where they had left it, undamaged. They got into the car and at once began the journey to Horne County.

"So the rumors were true…" Judy stated sadly. "All of those disappearances must be the work of this 'Butcher' guy and his followers."

"We gotta go find that place to be sure," said Nick, turning in the direction of the highway that lead out of the city. "Did you get that address?"

"Yeah, 537 Parrot Street, Ferndale," she answered as she typed the words into her phone. "What do you think Mathilda meant when she spoke about _integral naturalism_ and the _restoration of the enefsee?_ "

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling we're about to find out..." sighed her partner. "Now I _really_ wish I'd asked Miss Blacktail for a cigarette."

"Oh, c'mon! You're not nervous, are you?" Judy smiled, attempting to cheer him up.

"Well, not as much as when I had that she-wolf's _hand-canon_ pressed against my skull! No one ever pointed guns at me until I met you. I'm starting to wish I never went into that ice cream shop with Finnick that day…"

They drove in silence for a few seconds, after which Judy whispered:

"No you don't."

Her partner grinned slightly, and put on his mirrored shades.

All in all, as terrible as the case turned out to be, and after the initial unrest, their investigation was going along just fine. They'd discovered a possible source of the whole problem. All they needed to do now was to actually find the dreaded _Butcher's Den_.

The highway led them outside of the Zootopia city limits and into the countryside. As they drove by a sign that read 'Horne County welcomes you', suddenly Judy noticed something in the side mirror.

" _Nick_!" she gasped. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" asked the perplexed fox.

"Stop the car."

" _What?_ Are you out of your mind?! We're on a highway!"

"Nick, we're _police officers_! Now pull over. You can use the emergency lane."

Rolling his eyes, he did just that. As soon as he illegally parked his Convertible, Judy skipped out of the vehicle. Seconds later, Nick saw her leaping over the side barrier.

 _If you needed to go to the bathroom, you coulda just said so_ … – he said in his thoughts, exiting the car himself.

But that wasn't the case.

" _Carrots!_ Where're you going?" he cried after her, observing in confusion as she ran up the highway.

"Come check this out!" she yelled back.

The fox understood what the matter was as soon as both of them stood by the Horne County welcome sign.

"Well, this is expressive… too bad it has a typo," commented Nick.

On the back side of the sign, spray-painted red, were the words:

CARNIVERS NOT WELCOME!

"Guess the locals already know who's responsible for the disappearances," Judy estimated.

"Seems that way. There's a lot of farms around here. If we're in luck, the _locals_ may have already taken care of _Butcher's Den_ with their pitchforks and torches. No better way to take the law into one's own paws than a good, ol' fashioned lynching!"

"The fact that someone's from a farm doesn't mean that he is likely to practice lynching, Nick…" the rabbit pointed out to him as they walked back to the car.

"Well, I didn't say that _everyone_ … Oh, look at that!"

He pointed toward the side wall of a gas station in the distance, which was also covered in graffiti. The crude picture was that of a predator hanging from a gallows, with an arrow pointing its way and the word 'specieist' scribbled underneath.

Speechless at first, the rabbit then sighed and mumbled:

"I stand corrected."

"We better get going before this case solves itself," said Nick, grinning smugly.

Only about thirty minutes later, thanks to the Stallion Firebird, they were at the spot mentioned by Mathilda.

"Here it is. Ferndale, 537 Parrot Street. At least that's what the GPS says," stated the fox, double-checking the device.

"That's odd. This looks like some kind of a factory," Judy observed, looking out the window.

"The sign says: _Fangley Industries,_ " her partner added.

The female officer, as usual, decided to turn to her trusty phone.

"Hold on a sec, let me look that up. I can't believe there's Internet access over here! Okay, it says that _Fangley Industries_ manufactures car parts and accessories for such companies as _Akira_ , _Wolfswagen_ and _Ram_. They seem to be a legal business."

"All of the businesses I ever ran also _seemed_ legal, Carrots," Nick reminded her.

"Wait a minute, listen to this!" she then exclaimed. "There's a headline from a news article in the _Zootopia Mirror_ from four years ago. Right after mayor Bellwether's arrest! _Factory manager accused of speceism after firing all non-predator employees._ "

"No wonder there's barbed wire on top of that fence," noticed the fox, thinking of the anti-speceist graffiti they both saw earlier.

" _Owner of Fangley Industries, fox Oscar Fangley, denied the accusations_ ," Judy continued reading, " _saying that the workers have expressed great prejudice against predators, going as far as to say that they would go on strike if the manager did not get rid of all the employees who weren't prey animals. 'I then realized – Fangley stated – that, since I am a predator myself, I would have to close down the whole company. So instead of doing that, I dismissed the protesters, who were a minority anyway, and decided to make the factory an open and safe place of employment for all predators, who have experienced a lot of persecution both in my home Zootopia, and in Horne County, where I run my business, during the night howler crisis.'_ "

"Wow. That's one defiant mammal, isn't he?" Nick commented on what he heard.

Without much hesitation, Judy then announced:

"That settles it. We've got to go there and investigate!"

She was almost about to leave the car, but the fox grabbed her by the wrist.

"Whoah, wait a minute! Carrots, I know you're eager to get to the bottom of this case, but don't you think it's kind of dangerous to go in alone like this, especially if there really _is_ a carnivore den somewhere around here? We better contact Chief Bogo first, or call the Horne County sheriff."

"But what if there are animals being held in nasty cages in one of those warehouses over there?" she protested. "We'll be able to find out more now that we're undercover. C'mon, there's nothing to fear…"

"… _but fear itself_. Yeah yeah, I know…" Nick groaned in exasperation, rolling his eyes. After a few more moments of looking into the bunny's pleading, violet iris, he said: "Fine! I swear, your emotional side is going to get us both killed someday. But if we're gonna do this, we'll do it _my_ way."

"Which is…?" she inquired curiously, content with having changed his mind.

"Just watch," Nick uttered with a smirk on his face, tucking his shirt in and fixing his tie to look more official. "Let the sly fox do his work. You just follow me, and remember that your name iiis… Miss Cottonball."

" _Cottonball_?" Judy frowned at his idea of an alias. "Can't you think of a better rabbit pun name?"

"Okay, okay! How about… Miss McFurrey?"

" _Hmm…_ do I look like a _Miss McFurrey_?" she wondered.

"Yes, believe me. You definitely do."

"Okay then! McFurrey it is. And what should I call you?"

"I'll just use one of my old aliases. And I'll be the one doing the talking, alright? You just keep your eyes open, and make lots o' notes. Now let's go, before I start regreting this."

Nick then drove his Convertible to the front gate of the factory. Inside the booth, there sat a jackal wearing the uniform of a security guard with a name tag that read 'Kane'.

"Hi there!" Nick addressed him with a smile after rolling down the window and taking his glasses off.

"Can I help you?" said 'Kane' lazily, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes. I'm Max Falscher, business representative for Stallion Motors. This is Miss McFurrey, my intern. We have an appointment with Mr. Fangley, scheduled for 1 PM?"

The jackal gazed at the two smiling animals in the car suspiciously for a while. Then he mumbled:

"Just a sec."

He afterwards called someone on the intercom.

"Brenda? Yeah, this is Kane at the gate. There's a Mr. Falscher here, from Stallion Motors. Says he and his intern were supposed to meet with the boss at one? Yeah, I'll hold."

A few moments later…

"Yes, Brenda? Uh-huh. Is that right? Okay, I'll tell 'em."

Kane then leaned out of his booth and said:

"Sorry, but there seems to be a misunderstanding. Mr. Fangley's secretary says she didn't schedule any appointments for today."

Judy got a bit hot under the collar… But, thankfully, Nick proved himself to be a professional con artist yet again.

"Oh, wait a second…" he wondered, scratching his head. "I may have not expressed myself clearly. I'm, actually, a business mediator acting on behalf of Stallion Motors. The company itself should have sent an email to Mr. Fangley, but it may not have been signed with my name."

The jackal sent them another inquisitive gaze…

"One moment," he said finally, and locked the window to his booth. After a short conversation with someone, he opened it again.

"Do you have some sort of card or identification on you, sir?" asked the guard.

At that moment, Judy was almost sure that they would be driving back to Zootopia in just a few seconds. Yet, to her astonishment, that was not what happened.

"Yeah, sure," Nick said to the jackal without batting an eyelash. Then he opened the glove box, grabbed his wallet, pulled out a business card, and handed it to the guard.

Kane took a brief look at the piece of paper, then gave it back to the fox.

"Okay, you're clear," he stated to Judy's shock, opening the gate for them. "You can park by that blue building over there. Bob, Mr. Fangley's assistant, will be waiting for you."

"Hey, thanks very much!" Nick answered with a smile, and began to drive.

When he rolled the widow up again, still grinning, his partner had just one question to ask him.

"How? Just… _how?!_ "

Without saying a word, the fox handed her the card. It read:

MAXWELL FALSCHER, BUSINESS MEDIATOR

The card was an old one, probably used multiple times in the past. It even had an address and a phone number, but no name of any particular company.

"I've learned a long time ago that people don't know what the heck a _business mediator_ is," Nick explained to his truly impressed partner, "but in most cases, they're just too embarrassed to admit it."

"You crook! You swindler!" she proceeded to insult him jokingly, laughing out loud.

"Hey, it was your idea, okay? Now get ready, Carrots! I bet that guy in the suit over there is our tour guide around this place."

He then parked the car and both of them got out to encounter a young yuppie-looking bobcat.

"You must be Bob!" Nick approached him enthusiastically, his paw already outstretched.

But the feline just stood there without moving, eyeing both him and Judy for a while.

" _Robert_ Woodsworth, assistant manager to Fangley Industries," he introduced himself dryly. "Good afternoon, Mr. Falscher. And Miss…?"

"McFurrey," the rabbit curtseyed with an awkward smile.

"Uhm, she's my intern," explained her partner, a bit disoriented by the yuppie's stiffly professional attitude. "She's here to, you know, watch and learn."

"Excellent. Well, let me show you around the factory, if you're not in a hurry. Mr. Fangley will be ready to receive you shortly."

"Thank you, sir. That's a great idea!" Nick agreed with a little more confidence.

Robert the bobcat led both him and Judy through the shipping area and the warehouses, explaining briefly what sort of work was done in each of those places. Then they entered the factory. The place was as busy as a beehive, with animals of all sizes running around, carrying crates and operating the machines.

"All of the workers are predators!" Judy stated with staged astonishment, outshouting the noise. "Some of them are so _huge_!"

"Oh, yes," the assistant manages responded politely. "But don't let that bother you, Miss McFurrey. You're quite safe, I assure you. Just keep your eyes open for charging forklifts."

As they moved on, following their guide and pretending to be inspecting everything curiously, the feline continued his professional discourse.

"We are very proud of our equipment," he boasted, "and our products have received high praise from all of the companies we work for. In particular, we pride ourselves in the production of engine components and elements of suspension from light yet durable polymers, which act as a perfect substitute for parts made of aluminum and its alloys, known for their higher susceptibility to corrosion."

"Yes, I'm sure that my client will be more than interested in those," the make-believe business mediator responded, satisfied with their investigation going so well.

"Gee, Mr. Falscher," Judy added something of her own. "Imagine if those parts were used in your Convertible. I bet that would make the car much lighter. And faster, too!"

"You're absolutely right, Miss McFurrey!" the bobcat responded, smiling for the first time. "Let's just hope the negotiations go well, then. A Stallion is always a fine choice for a vehicle, I must admit."

"Thanks," Nick said with a grin, putting his paws in his pockets.

Afterwards, Woodsworth brought them into the office building, and halted in front of one of the doors.

"Well, Mr. Fangley's office is right in here. This has been a pleasure. I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!"

"Thank you, Robert! The pleasure's all ours!" the rabbit and the fox said, shaking his paw.

When the bobcat was gone, with a mutual look of encouragement, they knocked at the office door.

"Enter!" a female voice ushered them in.

Behind a secretary's desk, there sat a middle-aged, corpulent, rather ferociously-looking mountain lioness, wearing a passé suit and thick glasses. The name on the badge was 'Brenda Huntswell'.

"Mr. Falscher and Miss McFurrey?" the secretary asked rather unpleasantly, not lifting her eyes from her papers.

"Yup, that's us," Nick said to her, unfazed.

"Go right ahead. The manager is waiting for you."

 _So far, so good_ – they breathed with relief, already thinking which questions to start asking first. They then walked over to a fancy door with golden letters on it that read 'Oscar Fangley'.

Nick knocked, and a merrily-sounding voice answered him from the inside. That was a nice change.

"C'mon in!"

The fox entered first. What he saw was a handsome member of his own species, dressed in an expensive suit, sitting behind a desk and smiling.

What Judy saw was a bit different, though. First, she bumped into Nick's back, and wanted to apologize, but then she witnessed her partner doing something very odd. Instead of saying the customary 'good afternoon', he bowed his head low, then his whole body, and then…

He fell straight to the floor.

Before she was able to figure out what was going on, Judy noticed that Mr. Fangley was holding a gun.

She yelled, but was quickly silenced by the paw of a female puma covering her mouth.

"Don't struggle. It's easier if you don't struggle…" spoke the fox in the suit.

The last thing Judy could remember was the sight of a dart sticking out of her arm.

* * *

 **AN: Yeah, I really do work at a car part factory. What about it? XD**

 **So are Nick and Judy dead?! Probably not** _ **literally**_ **… at least not for now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

„Judy! _Judy!_ " a voice called her out of the darkness. At first she thought her father was speaking to her. It took her some time to recognize who it actually belonged to.

It was Nick. But why was he calling her by her real name?

When she finally managed to open her eyes and saw the anxious expression on her partner's face, she remembered what happened. A shiver ran down her spine.

"W-what's going on? Where are we?" she asked frantically, desperately trying to make out the blurry shapes that surrounded her.

-"I'm... not sure," her friend stammered. "We're in some kind of a cage."

 _Cage?_ That word made Judy feel even worse… She realized that they really should have contacted Chief Bogo before coming here.

Soon she found out that her partner was right. They were locked in a crude enclosure of sturdy metal bars, inside some sort of a roofed storage area. The nightmare she wanted to save others from, was now happening to her…

In the dim light of a single ceiling lamp, in front of their cage and with his hands behind his back, stood Mr. Fangley. Now they were able to see that he was a tall, well-built fox in his forties, with a pelt of bright red fur of an unusual luster and a thick, handsome brush with a white tip.

And they could observe all of that clearly, as he stood there completely naked.

"My eyes are up here," the animal stated, mocking his prisoners' bewildered astonishment.

After lifting herself up from the concrete floor with Nick's help, as she was aching all over, Judy gasped and uttered:

"Who… _are you?!_ "

Their captor laughed as if during a casual conversation.

"Why, I'm Oscar Fangley, manager of Fangley Industries. You should know that!"

Nick, himself barely able to comprehend all of this nonsense, stretched out his paws in a gesture of outrage.

"You… run a company… like this?! _Butt-nekkid?!_ "

The nude fox shrugged.

"So I'm a naturalist. What about it?"

"Wait a minute!" Judy raised her voice, leaping forward with a loud stamp and grasping the metal bars. "As far as I know, naturalists don't put people in _cages_!"

In response to her angry outburst, Fangley just laughed slightly.

"We here tend to take naturalism a step further than most other clubs… We call it _integral naturalism_. You'll learn more about that soon, I assure you."

Feeling the hair on his back bristle, Nick issued another question. Or rather, a statement.

"So this _is_ Butcher's Den."

" _Puh_!" the animal outside of the cage snorted in amusement. "A scary name made up by my colleagues. I prefer to call it the _Carnivores' Club_. Has a better ring to it."

"The twenty-three missing animals from Horne County!" Judy continued screaming at him. "Are they also here?!"

"Twenty-three?" Fangley asked, surprised. "Those are probably the only ones you've heard about. My accomplices' appetites are way greater than that, I assure you. We tend to clear the streets from homeless beggars, hitchhikers, and other stray sheep… sometimes literally. Those who will not be missed or looked for, usually. You understand that, at this point, we must try to maintain a low profile."

"So they're all dead…?" Judy asked with a broken voice, as her ears fell flat on her back.

"Oh, most certainly!" the wicked fox responded as if it were obvious. "And eaten, as well. We're carnivores, that's what we do! Only special individuals, like yourselves, get to be treated as guests of honor around here…"

Words could not express how terrible the two prisoners felt after this announcement, in spite of being called 'guests of honor'.

"You deranged, bloodthirsty… _butcher!_ " Nick uttered though clenched fangs, not being able to think of a better insult.

"Yes, that's what I am called!" to the prisoners' even greater outrage, Fangley laughed. "Now that you know my little secret, however… it's time to end this game."

The 'Butcher' then sent Nick a particularly malicious stare. Finally taking his paws from behind his back, he revealed what he was holding in them. Those were two police badges.

"Well played, Officer Wilde," he continued, fondling his precious find. "As cunning as a fox should be. I am impressed. _Nicholas Piberius Wilde_ \- first fox to ever become a ZPD officer. What an achievement! You're the pride and honor of our species. I am truly honored to meet you."

Taking a step forward, he then addressed the furious rabbit, who still clung to the bars of the cage.

"But, though I rarely speak words of praise to prey animals, it seems that your partner's achievements are even greater... I am, of course, not talking about being the first rabbit cop. No. Your actions, _Judith Laverne Hopps_ , are so great that you probably don't even realize it."

"How do you know so much about us?" – Nick burst out at him.

"Oh, I read the papers… and I also looked both of you up on _Zoopedia_ after we found your badges."

"Let us out!" – Judy yelled, stamping the ground with her foot. She hated the very idea of Butcher speaking about her.

"Don't leave us in this cage!" her partner now ran up to the bars himself, starting to feel a bit too claustrophobic.

Fangley chortled yet another time.

" _Heh-heh_. You should have come alone, Mr. Wilde. We would have accepted you with open paws. But in these circumstances… I'm sorry, but I can't let you go just yet. We still need to know each other better. But that can wait until tomorrow. Tranquilizer works as slow as sloths at a DMV. I've waited a long time for you two to finally wake up, and now I have to go back to my family. I'm already spending far too much time away from them, managing _both_ of my enterprises… Please, don't try to run. I know you probably won't believe me, but I would really hate to have you killed."

After saying these words, Butcher did something completely unexpected. He got down on all fours and, walking on both his front and hind paws like a wild animal, exited the light and went out of the warehouse.

Nick and Judy shared a mutual look of shock… and fell into each other's embrace.

The closeness of his friend gave the fox a lot of comfort, but he also noticed that she was shaking all over.

"Carrots, listen to me. It's gonna be alright. I'm here, and I'm not going to let them hurt you! We'll find a way to get out of here, somehow."

But although he was trying to sound as confident as he could, he then heard that she began to cry.

"Oh Nick…" Judy said under her voice, weeping. " _I'm so sorry!_ I should have listened to you. We shouldn't have come to this place, just like you said… But I was so stubborn in sticking with my idea, and…This is all my fault!

"Hey, hey!" he protested, putting his paws on her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. "That's not true, you hear me? It's all _their_ fault- that sick psychopath Fangley, and his gang of meat-eaters. We're cops, remember? We're on a mission. We gotta focus on exactly that, on solving the case. Now… help me find a weak spot in this cage!"

Seeing as her partner got to work right after he said that, Judy eventually wiped her tears away and also decided to focus. First, she searched her pockets.

"They took my phone… and my note pad. All I have is the clothes I'm wearing," she stated sadly.

"Yeah, me too. Those low-lives even stole my shades," Nick said to her, busy with his investigation. "I think they just put this contraption up today… or tonight. Look. The walls are only loosely held together by bundles of steel wire. I bet that… if I tried hard enough… I could…"

As he spoke, wrestling with the sturdy metal coils, Judy examined the floor.

-"No use trying to dig underneath the cage…" she estimated.

Suddenly, their search was interrupted by the sound of doors opening. Instinctively, the fox stood by his partner's side to protect her from whatever danger may have been approaching.

In the dim light of the warehouse, they saw another animal walking on all fours, crawling their way. Finally, it turned out to be Kane, the guard from the front gate of Fangley Industries. He was wearing nothing but his own beige fur, and a kind of pouch made of wool which hung from his shoulder.

When he saw the looks on the prisoners' faces, he demonstrated a grin far more nasty than even that of Butcher himself.

"Hello there, _Mr. Falscher,_ " the jackal uttered sarcastically. "I'm going to be keeping you and your _intern_ company tonight."

He then turned to Judy.

"How do you like our accommodations, cute little bunny?"

"Don't call me _cute_ , carnivore!" she erupted in anger. "I _hate_ that!"

But Kane continued to just bare his sharp fangs at her.

"Nobody cares what you love or hate around here, sweetie… But here. I brought you a snack."

He then opened his pouch. Taking a bunch of shriveled old carrots out of it, he proceeded to throw them in through the bars of the cage.

Judy hadn't eaten anything since early in the morning and, as it was probably late at night at that point, felt extremely hungry. She picked up the carrots and wanted to start eating.

But then she noticed that Kane did not bring anything for Nick.

"Hey! What about _his_ food?" she asked their carnivorous jailor.

Kane, not taking his eyes off both of them, laughed in a very dastardly way.

" _Heh-heh_ , you still don't get it, do you?"

Not even wanting to think about what she _didn't get_ , Judy looked at the carrots again… Although her stomach was rumbling like an avalanche, she handed half of them to her friend.

" _D'aww_ … _Shawing is cawing!_ " the jackal jeered at her gesture of solidarity. "In that case, officer Wilde, you'll be more than happy to know that Bob Woodsworth, Butcher's assistant, is greatly enjoying driving his new Stallion Convertible. Don't worry, maybe you'll still get it back… _someday_!"

Clenching his fist on the bunch of carrots, Nick bit into one of them with his fangs as hard as he could.

* * *

 **AN: Don't mess with another man (or fox)'s vehicle. You don't do it. It's just against the rules! ;)**

 **Oh, and it's also not nice to be put in a cage in some dark warehouse, not knowing if you're not going to be killed and eaten within the next hour.**

 **The plot thickens, and now Nick and Judy, having discovered _Butcher's Den_ , have also found themselves in some _serious_ trouble. What do you think will happen now?**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Shout out to all of my guest reviewers, since I can't write you a PM. Thanks, you guys really keep me going ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

The situation wasn't looking well for both Nick and Judy. They had no idea why Butcher left them alive… or how long it would stay that way. Inside of their depressing prison, all they had was each other.

The concerned fox could clearly see how much his partner was blaming herself for all of this… Of course, he did not cease to try to convince her that it wasn't so. But when words failed, and he attempted to at least give Judy another reassuring hug, they were both violently reminded that they were not alone, and were now prisoners under constant surveillance.

"Hey! No touching!" Kane, their canine jailor, yelled at them from outside of the bars of their cage.

At first, in a gesture of defiance, both of the police officers told him that he could go jump in a lake. But the jackal didn't take too kindly to that kind of remarks.

Grabbing a hose which hung from a nearby wall, he doused both animals with ice-cold water until, screaming and cursing him, they agreed to sit in opposite corners of the cage.

Then he forbade them to even speak to one another.

Sitting in anger, waiting for their clothes to dry, Nick and Judy continued to gaze at the guard with death-threats in their eyes. But Kane paid them no heed. Instead, he opened up his pouch and took out a package wrapped in aluminum foil, which turned out to be his supper.

Noticing the way the prisoners flinched as soon as he started eating, Kane laughed straight in their petrified faces.

" _Ha!_ You numbskulls!" he sneered, presenting what he was holding to them. "This is just a bugburger! We're all outa meat… for now."

They were forced to gaze at him for several more hours, which was especially annoying to Nick. Seeing the jackal eat made him feel very hungry even in spite of the carrots Judy shared with him earlier. Both of them observed in disdain as the guard, having groomed his fur, stretched himself out on the floor like a watchdog. But, after a period of time they weren't able to specify had passed, they were happy to hear that Kane began to snore. Since attempting to break out of the cage proved impossible, they at least sat side by side, moving stealthily, and held each other's paws.

"Hold on, Carrots," whispered the fox.

"I'll try," answered the rabbit, putting her head on her partner's shoulder.

Unable to fall asleep, they remained like that for the rest of the night. When morning came (or at least it appeared so), the alarm clock in Kane's phone, which he also held in his pouch, went off.

The jackal arose from the floor lazily, yawned, and scratched himself with his hind leg. But when he saw Nick and Judy together…

"Hey you two! Back to your corners, or I'll bring out the hose again!"

Obeying begrudgingly, Nick turned to face Kane and asked:

"What're you going to do to us?"

The guard snorted.

"That's not up to me. If it were up to me, _you'd_ be pushin' up daisies by now, _Max_. Whereas _she_ … Well, let me just say that I'd not be eating bugburgers last night. Butcher's in charge here. You'll know when he comes."

"And when's _that_?" Judy inquired angrily.

Again, the canine bared his fangs in a grin.

"Soon…"

Not long afterward, Kane was replaced by another pair of guards. And those turned out to be actual dogs- two slim Doberman Pinschers, who must have been twins. Their names were Larry and Barry, and they were both dressed in identical sets of Fangley Industries work outfits. The two guards stood by opposite walls of the warehouse, and started watching the prisoners closely.

And then the doors opened again. As Nick and Judy strained their eyes to see who was approaching, the silhouette of Oscar Fangley emerged from the darkness. This time, he had his clothes on.

"Good morning. I figured that, for someone as unacquainted with the ways of my club as the two of you, it may be easier if I came to speak to you like this," he explained. "Yet, if you excuse me… This year's summer is _extraordinarily_ hot!"

The fox took off his suit jacket afterwards, revealing that he was wearing a well-ironed, spotlessly white shirt with golden cuffs in the shape of salient lions. The collar of the shirt was an English spread, with a cornflower-blue silk tie tied in a broad Balthus knot. Fangley's well-groomed appearance was almost grotesque when compared to his beast-like behavior the duo of officers saw him exhibit the night before… not even speaking of the other activities they knew he was involved in.

When one of the Dobermans brought him a chair and placed it in front of the cage, Fangley hung his jacket on it and then sat down himself.

"You're welcome to relieve yourselves of your own clothes anytime, of course," he then announced to them. "Don't be shy! Some of my friends told me they've seen you at Mystic Springs Oasis on a number of occasions, Officer Wilde."

Nick's eyes went wide… If his fur wasn't red already, they would have all seen him blush.

Finally, Judy couldn't stand this anymore.

"Why are you holding us here?! Do you want to torture us, or something?" she screamed, no longer able to hold herself in.

Their captor presented only a slight smirk, and denied with a shake of his head.

"No, Judith. What makes you think I would do something that horrible? You do not have anything I already don't know. Besides, we don't torture animals here. That's not our purpose. There are, however, other ways in which I can persuade you to do things you thought you weren't capable of…"

"You can't scare us!" yelled Nick, only the metal bars holding him from lunging at Butcher with claws unsheathed.

Fangley, however, was unmoved.

"Oh yes I can," he said calmly. "Just look at that one's nose twitching."

This time, Judy covered her face in embarrassment. She suddenly felt an itch in the spot where Gideon Grey scratched her all those years ago…

The fox then continued.

"My goal is not to torment or frighten you, regardless of how all of this might look. In fact, I even brought you a gift. Forgive me for not thinking of this earlier."

He pointed at one of the guard dogs (either Larry or Barry, they weren't sure), who came up to the cage and gave each prisoner a blanket.

"It's real wool!" said Fangley. "I don't suppose you'd like to know where it came from, though…"

As disgusted as they were, Nick and Judy accepted the blankets. Though they didn't need to warm themselves, the perspective of sleeping on bare concrete was not too pleasant for either of them.

"You'll pay for this!" Judy hissed through clenched teeth, thinking of the unfortunate sheep the wool of the blankets undoubtedly came from.

To answer that, their captor hung his head in fake remorse.

"Oh, I know… You'll put me in jail, give me a short trial, and then strap me down to a table, stick a needle in my vein, and put me to sleep for _murder_. That doesn't worry me. As long as you're my guests, I think I'm safe. And even if I do die, I don't care. We're all just meat, anyway. The work we started here will carry on. There's many of us."

"How many?" the rabbit cut him off.

"Enough," he answered with a grin. "You're trying to convince me to spill the beans, aren't you, Judith? I admire your professional attitude of a law enforcer. Bet you wish you had that cute recorder pen of yours, don't you? We have surveillance cameras here, mind you, but they don't record anything. Too dangerous. So, to answer your question, we receive new members almost daily, some from within the highest echelons of Zootopia society. Not all of them work here. Some have regular jobs and families in the city. We are in contact with several funeral homes for the sake of our carrion-eaters. Apart from the factory, we also run a clandestine tannery, sewing, and fur-making workshops. Oh, and, of course, we organize hunts…"

"You rabid, vicious psych!" Nick screamed at him, furious with the calm way in which Butcher delivered his dreadful discourse.

That caused the other fox to lose some of his tranquility, although he looked just about as irritated as if he were bitten by a mosquito.

"Oh, c'mon! You know neither of that is true!" Fangley sprung up from his chair, and stood face to face with the officer.

"He's right! You beasts must have eaten a bunch of night howlers!" Judy backed her partner.

"Shut up!" one of the guard dogs, Larry or Barry, barked at her.

The animal dressed as a businessman gave them all a few moments to calm down. Then, crossing his paws on his chest, he turned to Nick again.

"If we agree to speak to each other civilly, and no sooner than that, perhaps I will explain to you what we are actually doing here, and why we do it. Contrary to common opinion, we are neither savage beasts, nor on drugs…"

"You're _murderers_!" Nick hissed, interrupting him again.

Fangley let out a sigh.

"No. No, we're not, Mr. Wilde. We are all, just as yourself, regular predators. Not _specieists_ , regardless of what others think of us. We do not _hate_ prey animals. Hate has nothing to do with it. It is all just pure, natural instinct- pure biology. Our goal is not to wipe out the weaker creatures from existence. Our goal is only to restore balance. That balance which is forever engraved within our DNA, and within the natural food chains."

" _Restoration of the enefsee_ … NFC- natural food chain," Nick started thinking out loud, attempting to decipher Butcher's ideological babble.

"Yes!" exclaimed their captor, almost joyfully. "So you know what I'm talking about? Of course! How else could you have found us? You must have come across one of our flyers!"

"That _flyer!_ " repeated Judy, remembering the first piece of evidence brought to them by Chief Bogo.

In spite of her speaking, Fangley continued to address her partner.

"So you can see for yourself, Officer Wilde. There _is_ something in your biology that makes you a natural carnivore. After all, how else would you be able to smell the little blood we put on each one of our flyers?"

Embarrassed in the most uncomfortable way, Nick remained silent.

"Oh, the marvelous society of Zootopia," Fangley went on with his sermon, his face beaming with zeal. "They think they're all so right and just… They say- _we are ahead! We are advanced! We are the first mammals to wear pants!_ Hypocrites. They all live in a dream world. _The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox._ That may be a wonderful image of Paradise, but it is not meant for this earth! It's against nature! Although… I will admit, I used to be like them myself, believe it or not. I used to think that we, the predators, don't need meat to sustain ourselves anymore. I used to believe that killing prey was wrong, and so I obediently subjected myself to the oppression which we, a minority, have been burdened with for hundreds of years."

"But… you really _don't_ need meat to sustain yourself!" Judy attempted to reason with him. "Thousands of predators survive without killing prey! My own family farms vegetables enhanced with extra nutrients, so that…"

"You cannot bewitch me with your hick pseudo-science, _rabbit!_ " this time, Fangley's outburst was filled with much more anger. "We don't need prey animals to grow genetically modified sustenance for us. We need prey animals to _be_ our sustenance! Can't you understand that this is against our very nature? Against _what we are_? Do you have any idea what the long-range consequences of eating nothing but substitutes and artificial supplements are to a predator's system? Or do you think I'd ever be able to look this well surviving on beatles and grass? Already our average life span is 20% shorter than that of prey animals. They outnumber us 10-1 in Zootopia, but the same factor is far higher in the country. In Horne County, it used to be 30-1 before the night howler crisis. Now it's closer to 100-1. And how many rabbits live in your own village, _hm_? 100 million? More? In a few decades, the overpopulation and overconsumption will be massive, and it will lead to famine if the unchecked multiplication of prey animals continues. Physically weakened by our meagre diet, I doubt we would be able to survive that."

After he finished his furious rant, and stood in front of their cage and panting, both prisoners gave him a few seconds to calm down. Then Nick said:

"So you _are_ a specieist!"

Astonished rather than irritated, Fangley looked at his fellow fox and, pointing at Judy, he stated:

"Well, no more than _she_ is."

" _What?_ " the rabbit gasped, outraged.

For the first time during their conversation, Butcher, rather amused by her reaction, went over to her side of the cage and turned to stare into Officer Hopps' eyes.

"Don't look so shocked, Judith. I did tell you that you've already helped all of us greatly, no matter what you think…"

Judy observed in desperation as their captor went back to his chair, and sat down to explain to them what she only feared might be true… But then all of her nightmares turned out to be real.

"Let me tell you a bit more about myself," continued Oscar Fangley. "You see, I was once a regular Zootopia predator, just like everyone else. I went to business school in the city, always wore clothes, and ate bugburgers. When I started my company here in Ferndale, about ten years ago, I was already married and my wife was pregnant with our first kit. The business was successful, and I thought that I'd live out the rest of my life as a car parts manufacturer… But then something happened. An otherwise insignificant incident, one might think. Back in those days, I used to still hire prey animals. One time, a hog hurt himself while working with one of the machines. It was a minor cut, but there was a lot of blood. So I drove the worker to the vet, like any good employer would, and even gave him a few days' off. So by the time I was back at the factory, the shift had ended and everyone went home. Of course, nobody even bothered to clean up the blood stains that were left on the floor… Well, what could I do? I pulled up my sleeves, grabbed a rag, and started to clean the whole mess… But then I felt something. The sight of prey's blood, it's scent… it made me feel strange. You know what I'm talking about, Officer Wilde. Don't even try to hide it. You felt the same thing when you saw the flyer with _Butcher's Den_ written on it, didn't you?"

Instead of answering, Nich loosened his tie… He was feeling more uncomfortable with every sickening word that came from Fangley's mouth. And so was Judy, only for a different reason.

"I stopped thinking about the incident after some time," Butcher continued, "but it remained imprinted as a memory somewhere in the back of my mind. And then… Then I heard of the case of the missing mammals. And I saw _you_ on TV during your press conference, Judith."

As Fangley sat on the edge of his seat with his elbows on his knees, he pierced the rabbit officer with such a gaze that made her feel weak. In a fit of despair, she sat down on the wool blanket which laid on the floor.

"I remember every word," the fox's voice echoed menacingly within the walls of the warehouse. "What you said about a _biological component_ responsible for the predators turning savage… something in our _DNA_ which makes us exhibit _aggressive hunting instincts._ At first, I admit, I didn't believe it. I thought you were insulting me… But then, I was _really_ insulted. The prey animals from my factory, falling into a frantic rage of speceism, decided that they didn't want to work together with predators anymore. Some said that they were afraid, but I didn't believe them. What I saw in the eyes of my employees, was _hate_. The _audacity_ of Dawn Bellwether, to try to turn prey animals against us, as if _we_ weren't the ones subjected to oppression already! And they hated us, for no reason, just because we were predators. It was then that I understood that peace between out kinds is purely artificial. I decided to yield to my workers' demand to separate them from predators… but in a way they didn't expect. I let them all go. Then the press came, I was dubbed a speceist, and soon my wife and son couldn't walk the streets of Ferndale safely anymore. I got angry, I admit… But even when I would sit down to think about all of this, I started realizing the truth. We were persecuted, as we have been for many, many years. I remembered what I felt after the hog's accident, and… and it was then that I learned that, all along, you were right, Judith. I decided to try to make the world a better place, just as you suggested. I looked inside myself, believing in what you said, that _change starts with me_. They say that in Zootopia, anyone can be anything… So, eventually, following what's in my own DNA, I chose to become a carnivore. And I can now finally thank you for setting me free. You get just as much credit for starting _Butcher's Den_ as I do."

By now, Judy had hidden her face in her paws. Nick, hearing that she was starting to cry, became overcome with an even greater wave of anger.

" _Stop it!_ " he yelled, grabbing the bars. "Can't you see what you're doing to her?! You're not going to put all the blame for _your_ crimes on Judy! I won't let you!"

To his even greater dismay, the glare Fangley sent him was that of great pity.

"I'm afraid that your compassion is badly misplaced here… Yes, I know that she is your partner. I even know that she shared her food with you last night. But you're not going to be given enough to sustain both of you. See, Officer Wilde, I did not put you in this cage to imprison you. I put you there in order to _set you free_. As I myself, and all of us here, have been set free. And, yet again, this will happen thanks to _you_ , Judith."

Nick and Judy shared a look of complete and utter terror. Simultaneously, they realized exactly what this whole imprisonment was supposed to bring about… and why they were put in one cage together.

"N-no…" Nick stammered, feeling his knees shaking. "I'll never do such a thing… Judy is my _friend_!"

" _Friend_?!" Fangley offered him a mocking grin. "Ha! You'll be surprised to see how quickly such petty bonds dissolve when instinct starts taking over!"

"I'll starve sooner than…" the desperate fox tried to reassure both Butcher and Judy, but the cramps in his stomach almost got the best of him.

"No, Officer Wilde. Over here, no predator will ever starve. I will see to that myself."

Fangley then reached into the pocket of his jacket. What he took out caused Judy even more pain…

"This carrot-colored phone must be yours, am I right?" he asked the anxious rabbit. "It has 476 unanswered calls from your parents and siblings. I really wish they could all be here with you right now…"

Suddenly, to the prisoners' greatest shock, the phone began to vibrate.

"Oh, there it goes again!" the animal called Butcher laughed in genuine amusement, unfazed by the tears that were running down the face of the device's owner. "That's 477!"

" _You BEAST!"_ Nick screamed from the top of his lungs, wishing he was only capable of bending the metal bars…

"Whatever," snorted Fangley. "You're not going to be needing this anymore."

The fox then slipped the phone back in his pocket, stood up, and proceeded to put his jacket back on.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm scheduled for a meeting with a sales executive from Ram Motor Vehicles. A _real_ one, that is. I think I'm going to take him out to a business lunch. And I have a feeling it'll be mutton chops…"

Leaving them alone, he vanished from their eyes yet again. Now the desperate couple of ZDP officers had no one to accompany them but the pair of terrible watchdogs who stood by the wall, and their own, far more terrible, thoughts.

* * *

 **AN:** _ **'It rubs the lotion on its skin or else** **it gets the** **hose again!' XD**_

 **So this is where the story gets** _ **real**_ **dark. 'Silence of the Lambs' is among the many inspirations I used for this fic. The others are movies like 'Saw' and 'Fight Club'.**

 **Oscar 'Butcher' Fangley is good with games. Screwing with Judy's mind, he basically puts her on the edge of depression by making her believe she's responsible for all of this mischief. But he also wants to play a game with officer Wilde. He desires to turn him to his side, and the only way he can do that is by… well, forcing Nick to follow the natural food chain, and** _ **eat**_ **his partner.**

 **We know that Nick 'loves' Judy. But will that 'love' lead him to die of starvation… or to have her as his lunch? Will the scene in the avatar come true?**

 **Let the game begin.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After what Oscar Fangley had revealed to them, Nick felt seriously troubled, but what was even more devastating to him was Judy's reaction. When Butcher left them, the rabbit simply curled up on the floor in her corner of the cage, and covered herself with her blanket. She presented a sight which was breaking her partner's heart.

The fox attempted to approach her several times but, to his great dismay, she would neither speak nor acknowledge him in any way. Finally, when his insisting attracted the guards who threatened to spray water on them again, he relented, deciding to instead give Judy some time to cope with all of this, somehow. But as he sat there on the cold floor in silence, he couldn't shake the haunting feeling that his one-time friend, after witnessing such terrible things committed by a member of his own species, became afraid of him again. And even if he would sooner die than hurt her, he couldn't do anything about that.

Indeed, Judy was devastated. But what Nick was unaware of was that Fangley's words did not, actually, make her afraid of him. They made her afraid of herself.

Once she thought that what she had said during the press conference, was utterly wrong. The feeling of having spoken such terrible things, driven by her own prejudice against foxes, in front of all of Zootopia, may have been awful. But now… Now she was starting to believe that the hasty statements she made that day _were_ actually true. And that, instead of insulting her fellow animals by suggesting that they might still be beasts deep down inside, she actually awoke those same beasts that lurked at the bottoms of hearts similar to that of Oscar Fangley. _Butcher's Den_ wasn't a myth… it was her own idealistic view of Zootopia that turned out to just be a façade of an otherwise void dream.

This meant that all of her efforts to restore peace and mutual trust between predators and prey, had been for nothing.

Fangley told them the truth. Judy was to blame for the crimes committed at _Butcher's Den_ just as much as the organization's founder. How many lives could have been lost throughout those four years? Dozens? Hundreds? She couldn't stop thinking about that.

And then she realized something else. If indeed she had been the one who made predators hunt and eat prey again, she deserved nothing more than to receive that same fate herself. And if Fangley wanted to force Nick to either starve to death, or give in to his instincts… To save her partner's life, and atone for her mistakes, Judy would not resist.

She came close to even suggesting that to Nick at one point, but couldn't get the words out of her mouth.

In the meantime, Larry and Barry, their Doberman Pinscher guards, were in a splendid mood. Grabbing a pair of brooms, they began sweeping the floor of the warehouse from opposite sides, singing as they did so. After just a few moments, their howling duet was starting to seriously get on Nick's nerves…

" _You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time…"_ started Larry or Barry.

"… _you ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time…"_ answered Barry or Larry.

" _Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine!"_ they sang together.

The furious fox knew that they were doing that in order to scare Judy. Standing up and sticking his snout through the bars, he burst out in anger:

" _SHUT UP, YOU MUTTS!_ Just wait 'til the police gets here! They'll put muzzles on both of you so tight you won't even be able to open your jaws!"

" _Haha!_ The _police?_ " jeered Larry or Barry. "But you're already here!"

"Yeah! Go ahead and try to muzzle us yourself, fox!" responded Barry or Larry, then continuing with his song, and with sweeping the floor. _"Well they said you was high-classed, well, that was just a lie. Well they said you was high-classed, well, that was just a lie."_

" _Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine!"_ his brother joined in.

This went on for some time. After the dogs were done with the work, they put their brooms away and stood by the wall again. Each of them lit himself a cigarette. Nick observed the two red dots that danced in the darkness like dragonflies among the smoke, looking back at the motionless Judy in her corner from time to time in sorrow. Every once in a while, he also glared at the loose coils of wire that were holding their cage together, waiting impatiently for when their two annoying guards would finally go to sleep.

But Nick estimated that, since the animals were wearing clothes, it was still daytime, and that he wouldn't be able to attempt a prison break at least for another couple of hours.

Sitting on the floor pointlessly, he suddenly started to doze off… When he woke up afterwards, his heart pounding, he wasn't able to tell the time anymore. Larry and Barry were still standing by the wall, and Judy was still curled up under her blanket.

What had awaken Nick was the sound of doors opening. Standing up with a sigh, he wondered whom he would see this time.

Then he heard a conversation in the dark.

"So how are our guests doing?" asked a familiar voice.

"They're fine," Larry or Barry answered. "That fox's gettin' a bit feisty, though…"

"Good!" the other animal responded with satisfaction. "That's what we're hoping for, after all. We want him to become like his last name- _wild_. After all, we're all wild at heart!"

After those words were spoken, the person of Robert Woodsworth, wearing his yuppie suit, appeared before Nick's eyes.

The bobcat wanted to speak first, but he was cut off.

"I can see Butcher's so busy chasin' prey around that he has to send his minions to spy on us now. Glad we can see each other again, _Bob._ Guess you didn't come to speak about polymers this time, huh?" the fox uttered sarcastically. "And I'm also glad that at least you have the decency to come here without flashing your naked fuzzy butt in front of us…"

"Soon you will learn that an animal in a suit is no different than an animal without clothes, Mr. Wilde. And there's really no reason for you to speak in such a rude tone," Woodsworth retorted with a frown.

" _Ha!_ Whaddya mean?!" one of the guard dogs decided to express his thoughts. "You stole his car! He has all the reasons in the world to be mad… apart from bein' stuck in a cage."

"Shut your snout, Barry!" the bobcat rebuked the worker with a type of anger they had not seen him express before. "I did not _steal_ Mr. Wilde's car…"

He then turned back to Nick and, clearing his throat, spoke more calmly.

"Forgive me, Officer. I understand that my colleagues may have mislead you. Yes, I am, in fact, using your Stallion Firebird. But that doesn't mean I consider it to be mine. Heavens, no! I'm sure you know well that a vehicle such as that cannot simply be left standing in the parking lot, exposed to the elements! I assure you, as soon as you join us, you'll get your Convertible back in perfect condition…"

"I'll _never_ join you!" by now, the fox had enough of his babble. "If you think you can make me, you've got a fur ball for a brain. But keep driving my car, carnivore. Soon enough, the ZPD is going to be looking for it, and then you'll lead them straight to your little den."

For a second or two, Woodsworth just stood there. And then he bared his sharp fangs in a grin, laughing so hard that it made the hairs on his pointy ears shake.

" _Hahaha!_ Well, I'm sorry to inform you that this is probably not likely to happen… We're not fools, you know. We're good at covering our tracks. See, I already changed the plates. This is a car part factory, after all. Didn't I mention that we make registration plates, as well? Sorry about that. Plus, the refinishers promised me that they will also give the Stallion a new paint job, as soon as I make up my mind what the new color is to be, that is."

Nick tightened his grip on the bars and ground his teeth even more…

"Let's not talk about that for now, shall we?" the bobcat proposed, opening the briefcase he brought with him. "After all, in spite of everything, our ultimate goal is to make you our _friend_."

Woodsworth then took out two plastic bottles of water and a bunch of carrots, and threw all of that into the cage. Nick grabbed the food and water, and went over to Judy to share it with her. She wouldn't move at first, but when he insisted, she sat with her back against the bars, unscrewed one of the bottles, and began taking small sips. She would neither eat nor speak, though.

"Rabbits can't survive on carrots alone, you know," the fox addressed the one who brought them the supplies, munching on one of the vegetables.

The bobcat exhibited another nasty smirk.

"Neither can predators," he stated smugly.

Of course, he was only trying to remind Nick that they wanted to force him to eat Judy by starving him. That made the fox angry again.

"Remember this once and for all, you furry savage," he spoke, expressing his wrath to Woodsworth. "I'll _never_ lower myself to your level, you hear?! I'm not like you. Not every predator is like you, no matter what that crazy leader of yours says!"

The feline sighed, putting his paws on his hips.

"Oh Mr. Wilde, you still have much to learn. But I do understand that it's really hard to fathom that one is capable of feeding on the flesh of another animal. That only really becomes clear _after_ you've done it for the first time… It's a process. It's only a consequence of something that, you must agree, distinguishes us predators from prey animals. You see bits and pieces of this in everyday life. In assumptions we make. You assumed that, since I am a bobcat, my name is most likely _Bob_. Well, me, Larry and Barry over there assume that, since _you_ are a fox, you will at some point attempt to somehow outsmart us or otherwise sneak out of your cell. That's why we are observing you so closely. In consequence, I'm sure that your own partner, the first time she ever saw you, assumed, at least subconsciously, that you can potentially become more of a threat to her than, say, another rabbit. This is not to say that all assumptions are true, of course. Yet everything we practice here is only proof of the fact that, in the last case, the fear a prey animal feels when encountering a predator is completely justified."

"Listen Bob, I'm already tired of listening to you all rambling about your ideology of _integral naturalism_ ," Nick finally uttered, more interested in his carrot than in what Woodsworth was saying to him. What worried him even more was the fact that Judy still refused to eat, as well as the sight of her twitching nose and the hollow despair he was seeing in her eyes.

Butcher's right hand mammal, however, continued speaking.

"Well, I guess I can understand that, too. Unlike my boss, I have serious doubts if such a righteous individual as yourself will be able to be converted to our _unlawful_ ways…"

He then began scratching the spotted fur on his neck, mumbling as if to himself.

" _Hmm_ , a cop turned savage. That would be such a scandal… Then again, perhaps it wouldn't? After all, you are a fox. Just like Mr. Fangley himself. Oh, but you are reformed, aren't you? You're way pass that stage in your life when you were a outlaw con artist, and instead you now proudly wear the uniform of a ZPD officer… No, wait! I just forgot about the way we've met! You didn't have your uniform on, and you used a false name. Yes, but that was only for the sake of your investigation, wasn't it? Obviously, that's justified. But what about… What about your connections to the crime world? Not completely severed, are they? That doesn't seem very cop-like… You and your partner coming in contact with such revolting individuals as that self-absorbed, power-hungry shrew from Tundratown, and his band of brainwashed polar bear pawns…"

At first, Nick didn't pay attention to the bobcat's sarcasm. But as soon as he mentioned Mr. Big, he became far more interested.

"How do you know about that?" the fox narrowed his eyes, moving closer to the bars.

Woodsworth chuckled.

" _Hm-hm_. Scared, Officer Wilde? No worries, your secret is safe with us. People don't know a whole lot about us, but we tend to know a lot about people. And we're good at keeping secrets, both our own and otherwise."

"You can't blackmail me…" a spark appeared in Nick's eye when he realized what the yuppie was suggesting. But then his interlocutor started denying that vigorously.

"Oh no, that's not the case! You got the wrong impression. Again, we're trying to present you with an offer that will make you like us more, Mr. Wilde. We're a band of predators, and how would scaring other predators away help us to grow? No, what I intend to do is to show you that it would actually be beneficial for you to join us."

 _I don't think I'm able to listen to this crap for much longer_ , the fox thought at first.

But then he realized something else. If Judy and him ever do manage to escape, for the sake of the investigation, perhaps it would be better to milk all the members of _Butcher's Den_ for extra info as much as possible?

He noticed that all the hunger and stress almost made him forget about the case. Even if his partner was incapacitated for the moment, he just had to continue. He'd show them that he did not complete the Police Academy for nothing.

"I'm listening," he announced, sitting down on his own blanket, looking at Woodsworth in anticipation.

The bobcat bared his sharp fangs, smiling.

"I'm not sure if this is your cunning or your genuine good will speaking through you, Officer, but either way, it serves our cause. First of all, if you do decide to make use of the best food source you have inside that cage, you'll be accepted within our ranks and all the benefits of being a member will be open to you. Including a share in our meat rations. Trust me, compared to that, everything you've ever eaten before will seem like trash."

" _Uh-huh_ ," Nick nodded flippantly, picking his teeth with a claw. "But there's more, isn't there? Like, I'll get my car back, I get to walk around naked, maybe even get a job driving a hi lo at the factory…?"

"Quite right, but not completely. See, Mr. Wilde, I believe that my boss had mentioned to you that some of our associates are high-ranking members of Zootopia society. We need such animals on our side if we ever wish our movement to leave the underground and become legal without starting a bloody revolution. Believe me when I say that bloodshed is not amongst our goals… Well, it is, in a way. But you understand what I mean, don't you? The point is, you are a police officer, and a famous one, too. You'd provide us an invaluable service if you ever decided to join us. We would not make you work at the factory! You're much more useful to us in your own profession. I understand that many of your colleagues are predators. Imagine if you were able to convince some of them, and maybe even many, to join our cause, as well. I'm sure you'd do fine as a recruiter. And how much would we benefit by having the Zootopia Police Department on our side!"

As Woodsworth spoke, unraveling this scheme as if he was presenting a business deal, he walked to and thro in front of the cage, moving in a slick, cat-like manner. Nick observed, and listened to him, carefully.

"Oh yeah, for sure," he agreed. "But please, tell me one more thing, Bob. If I did suddenly show up at my police station after being gone for so long, how would I explain myself? Or, if there asked me where Carrots was, what would I tell them, huh?"

The conversation turned into a real a battle of sarcasm, and even the two watchdogs were now listening to it with interest.

The bobcat halted and stroked his long whiskers with his claws.

"Oh, Mr. Wilde, I'm sure you'd think of _something_. After all, you are a sly fox, aren't you?"

"Well, why shouldn't I use my _skills_ to try to break out of this place instead, then?" he inquired.

"You can, of course, try. But we'll be ready for it. And I assure you that you will lose much more than the benefits of being a member of _Butcher's Den_ if you do…"

"And what's that, hm?" Nick crossed his paws with a smirk on his face, attempting to show that words cannot frighten him. "What if I _don't_ decide to join your little club?"

He wanted to act confident and defiant, but when Woodsworth looked at him after he said those words… There was only one time in his life when Nick saw an animal with eyes like that- it was when he was attacked by the bewildered puma Manchas in the Rainforest District.

"If you don't join us, Mr. Wilde," Woodsworth growled rather than spoke, "you will soon see your bunny cop partner die. And then, you will die yourself."

For some reason, Nick remembered hearing in biology class when he was just a kit that, ages ago, large carnivores like big felines didn't only consume prey animals. Sometimes, they would also attack smaller predators… like foxes.

" _Heh-heh_ ," he laughed rather awkwardly. "And then what? Are you gonna eat _me_ , as well?"

The bobcat's reaction, however, was different than what he expected it would be. Instead of becoming even more angry, Woodsworth just shook his head in disappointment. He was back to his yuppie self.

"I did tell Butcher that yours was a lost cause, Mr. Wilde…" he sighed. "For the one hundredth time- we are not beasts. Even we have rules. What kind of a club we would be if the members were allowed to eat one another?"

Without saying anything else, the bobcat picked up his briefcase and left. Nick was almost as glad about shutting him up as he was about getting so much information out of him.

Not long afterward, he was also happy to see that Judy began nibbling at the carrots Woodsworth brought them. That was a great development, even though she still seemed to be in shock and wouldn't even look his way. But even though he was relieved, his own hunger was becoming increasingly bothersome. He was larger than Judy and, since he was a predator, he indeed needed more nutrition. No matter what he thought, he couldn't trick his own body…

Attempting to distract himself, he reviewed in his mind everything he had been able to find out since the beginning of his and his partner's imprisonment. He also continued to look for a weak spot in the cage, though he couldn't do much because of being under the constant surveillance of Larry and Barry.

Their shift ended after a couple of hours. Nick was glad about that at first, but then he saw who came to replace the dogs…

Before the bars, baring her fangs, claws, and everything besides that, stood Brenda Huntswell- Fangley's secretary. And her sight was even more scary than even that of the night howler-driven Manchas.

"Now you listen up," the female puma growled at both Judy and Nick threateningly, piercing them with a furious glare of her bloodshot eyes. "If I hear a single _word_ from either of you throughout the whole night, I will _personally_ skin you alive and hang your pelts above my desk. _Understood?!_ "

The rabbit and the fox both nodded… and then quickly covered themselves up with their blankets.

Not able to keep himself from shaking, even in spite of the summer heat, Nick wondered what had caused the mountain lioness to be so angry… Or perhaps it was just her character?

Fortunately, not long afterward, Nick heard from behind his back that Brenda started snoring. Then he remembered something else he'd learned in biology class- that large carnivores, and especially felines, slept for most of the day.

Rolling to the other side, he saw the secretary outstretched on her back, her tongue sticking out of her mouth.

"Brenda…" he whispered just to make sure. "Hey, Brenda! You know, I was wrong about you. Now I see it wasn't that suit of yours that was making you look fat. It was the _fat_!"

The puma didn't give any sort of response. Confident that she was completely out cold, feeling that he was in luck, Nick quickly crawled over to Judy's side.

"Ah, you ate your carrots, Carrots. That's good…" he said. But then he noticed something strange about his partner's behavior.

For the first time since they were put in their cage, Judy's ears were standing up straight instead of lying flat. Usually, that meant that she was in a good mood. But not this time.

"Judy, what's wrong?" he asked, putting his paw on her shoulder. She was completely stiff, shaking all over. Her eyes were hollow, staring into the darkness.

"Listen…" she whispered.

For a few second, the fox followed her instruction. But all he could hear was Brenda's snoring.

Then he understood. Because of her rabbit ears, his partner's sense of hearing was better than his.

"Judy, you're gonna have to tell me what's going on," Nick said to her, helplessly trying to make her look him in the eyes.

She did start to relate to him what sounds she was hearing. But that only made tears run down her cheeks.

"Roaring… a predator's voice. Furious. He's running, chasing after someone. Others are cheering. There's a loud cry… I think it's a lamb or a goat… It's… it's crying, so desperately…"

"They're… having a hunt!" Nick gasped in terror, realizing the truth. He said those words so loud that he had to look back to see if he did not wake up their guard.

 _So that's why Brenda was so upset. Instead of being up there with the others, she has to watch us…_ he realized.

"The roaring's getting louder," Judy continued. "They're all shouting like savages… I can't hear the lamb anymore. They're cheering… It's over. I think they're done."

After a few more chilling moments, hardly audibly, the rabbit mumbled:

"I can't hear anything anymore."

* * *

 **AN: _'Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?'_** **(laughs maniacally)**

 **I know, I know- there's a whole lot of dialogue and not too much action.** **But what I'm trying to do is capture the angst and the inner struggles of the characters who, after all, _are_ trapped in a cage. Please feel free to let me know how I'm doing.**

 **So Nick got one of those 'propositions you cant refuse' type of things. If he doesn't eat Judy, he'll starve or be killed. If he does, there's gonna be prizes, but there'll also be no turning back. Butcher will have full control over him, knowing that he killed his partner. But can the villainous fox really find a way to convince Nick that his way of life is anything other than pure madness?**

 **You can be sure of one thing- he will try.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The night that followed the hunt at Butcher's Den was a long and mostly sleepless one for Nick. All the stress had given him a serious headache, and the hunger he felt was starting to become unbearable. He could hardly focus on anything else than dreaming of food…

But still, he wasn't thinking about meat.

When morning came and Brenda's shift ended, while pretending to still be sleeping, he saw the mountain lioness exchange places with Kane. That was a relief, as the jackal was way less intimidating than Fangley's secretary.

After stretching and yawning loudly, Nick looked in Judy's direction. Unfortunately, she was even more deeply depressed than before… She just lay there, curled up like a rabbit embryo, with her eyes wide open and her nose twitching.

Ignoring his own nasty mood and rumbling stomach, Nick decided to do something. He had to at least try to revive his partner's broken spirit _somehow_. Finally, he had the idea that, perhaps, making fun of their guard would help.

"Hey Kane!" he called the jackal in a faked friendly manner, interrupting him as he read his morning paper.

The guard narrowed his eyes…

"The heck do you want?" he inquired.

The fox stood up with a grunt, feeling his bones crack, and went over to stand by the bars.

"Oh, you know. Just wanted to chat. After all, you only said I wasn't allowed to talk to Judy. You didn't say anything about _yourself_ …"

"Shut up and sit your butt down on the floor!" the angered jackal hissed back at him. "The day I wanna chat with _you_ is gonna be the day I die. Ya wise-guy."

Nick did not obey and remained standing, but in spite of that Kane returned to looking at his newspaper.

After reading about six more words, he was interrupted yet another time.

"Hey Kane! Don't you think we oughta get to know each other better? You know, just in case I _do_ join your club? We'll be buddies then, you know."

"You're testing my patience, cop…" an anger snarl came from the other side of the Zootopia Mirror.

"Why don't you tell me your last name?" Nick kept pressing him. "Or, better yet! How about I _guess_ what your last name is, huh? Wouldn't that be fun?"

"I'm three seconds away from getting the hose out, fox…"

"I know- you must be Kane Howler. Jackals howl, don't they? Oh wait, I remember hearing a jackal's howl one time in high school… Kane _Wailer_. Your last name's gotta be Wailer, right?"

Ripping his paper in two with one swift swing of his clawed paw and throwing the pieces to the ground, the guard ran straight to where the water hose was hung on the wall of the warehouse. Nick noticed that all the unrest caught Judy's attention…

" _Blankets!_ " he whispered to his pertner, motioning with his paw to rush her.

They both reacted in the nick of time. A fountain of cold water was sprayed straight into their cage… and crashed against a shield of wool. Under such a cover, though not exactly dry, both Nick and Judy were protected from the worst of Kane's attack.

"Hey, thanks a lot!" Nick yelled at the jackal, laughing out loud. "It was getting really hot in here. Just remember- you're the one who's gonna have to clean up this puddle you just created!"

Realizing that this was indeed true, Kane cursed… and went over to the valve to shut the water off. Then, with blood-shot eyes and a furious growl, he grabbed a bucket and a mop.

"Ah, nice to see an employee dedicated to his work! At least you're not getting your meat for free…" the fox stated mockingly, wringing out his wet blanket, but then decided to change the subject again. "So what about that last name of yours, huh? Not Wailer? It's gotta be something especially jackal-like. How about… Kane Stealsyerchick. No? Too complicated? Well, let's tryyy… Kane Buttsniff. Yeah, that definitely fits you! _Mr. Buttsniff_!"

Noticing a slight grin appearing on Judy's face, Nick smiled himself. Only to see the guard slamming the bars of their cage with his mop.

"My name is Kane _De Silva_ ," the jackal revealed to them, panting heavily, hardly capable of holding himself in. "Now, ya ginger menace, would you please SHUT UP!"

* * *

In a far-away room full of monitors, two other animals were watching the scene curiously. One of them was sitting in an office chair with his legs crossed, and the other was standing right by his side.

"Did you get the slightest impression that he was at all interested in what we told him?" asked the fox.

"Interested, yes. Supportive, no," answered the bobcat. "I still think this is a waste of time, sir. Having befriended that pathetic rabbit, he's become even more attached to his beliefs now that she's fallen into despair. His compassion is his strength… or his greatest weakness, from our point of view."

"Yes, I'm afraid you're right, Robert. But let's not give up just yet."

"Sir, Mr. Wilde has hardly eaten anything in over three days now. He's going to die soon…"

"Mr. Wilde is not going to die. I won't allow it, I've told you already! He's tough, true… But I've been thinking, and perhaps I found a different way to turn him to our side. We just need to change out methods. Trust me. Only a fox can outwit another member of his own species."

After a few more moments of gazing at the image of Kane moping the warehouse floor in meditation, Oscar Fangley said to his assistant:

"I think it's time. Call the kitchen, please. Oh, and hand me that tablet, will you?"

* * *

After the jackal was done with the cleanup, he pulled up a chair to sit directly in front of the cage and watch the two prisoners closely. Nick had lost the desire to speak to him anymore, forced to struggle with an intense stomach ache caused by the lack of food.

He couldn't lie down on his wet blanket, so instead he started walking from one end of the cage to the other on his side in order to kill the time. But malnutrition was causing him to feel dizzy, and eventually he had to sit down on the concrete.

He and Judy shared a sad look…

And then they heard the sound of doors opening. Kane immediately sprung up from his chair, straightening like a metal pole.

"Good afternoon, sir! W-what can I do for you?"

"Go ahead and take a break, De Silva. I need to speak with our guests in private," said Butcher.

Without another word, the jackal disappeared. Fangley took his spot on the chair in front of the bars, not even looking at Nick and Judy. The tie he was wearing that day was made of sharp crimson silk.

The fox brought with him a large tablet, and started meddling with it as soon as he sat down. The device threw a bright blue glow on his handsome face. After a few moments, he turned the screen so that Nick and Judy could see it, placed the tablet on the floor, and turned up the volume.

"It's a recording from last night. I made sure everything was filmed, especially for you. I'll erase the video as soon as you're done watching," he explained.

To the duo of officers' shock, it was indeed a recording of the hunt which Judy heard the night before, taken with a hand-held, infrared camera by someone standing on top of a gallery overlooking another storage area. Other spectators could be seen on the gallery as well, watching the dreadful show in silence.

In between the isles of crates and pallets with merchandise, there lurked a pair of lions- a male and a female. They were both nude, savage, and down on all fours.

"This animal is a well-known Zootopia lawyer," Fangley commented. "I wish it was our mayor, but still… His wife makes excellent pies. Their son and my son are good friends."

"I'm not going to watch this…!" Nick growled furiously, gnashing his teeth. He noticed that Judy covered herself with her blanket, and was now shaking in the other corner of their prison…

"Oh, I highly recommend that you do, Officer Wilde," Butcher's voice was almost disgustingly smooth.

The trapped fox didn't turn away from the tablet… Even though he felt limitless disgust, he wanted to know the face of the carnivorous lawyer in hope of catching him if he ever got out of there alive.

The hunt was fairly short. The prey, which turned out to really be a lamb, didn't have anywhere to run. Tripping in his tattered clothes, screaming frantically, he was no match for the pair of lions. Soon, the crowd started to cheer. The male was the one who delivered the killing bite. He and his wife had the privilege to be the first ones to partake of the meat, and they did so with visible enjoyment. Then the rest of the predators joined them, also.

Switching off the device, Fangley saved Nick from having to watch the following feast scene. But what he did see and the sounds he heard were enough to frighten him. He could only imagine what Judy, who had to go through the same thing a second time, was feeling right now…

"It's only during a hunt that you realize what it really means to be a predator," the other fox continued after standing up from his chair. "We were born to hunt and kill, Mr. Wilde. They say that we've evolved, but that is mostly true only when it comes to behavior. Our teeth are still meant to chew meat. Our long tails help us to maintain balance while in pursuit of prey. Have you tried running on all fours? It's faster that way, you know. And haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to feel the scent of another animal's fear? To stalk it in the night, and then enjoy a fresh meal after a successful kill? Didn't you feel even the slightest thrill while watching this recording I just showed to you?"

Nick stood up himself and moved so close to the bars he could almost touch Fangley. Looking straight into his eyes, he uttered:

"No. Never."

The carnivore leader sighed, disappointed.

"That's what I was afraid of."

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Very well, Mr. Wilde. You win."

Fangley proceeded to write a text message to someone, which left Nick wondering about what would happen now… Did the deranged factory manager call for his goons? Were he and Judy about to be killed? He had not thought seriously about death before, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it…

But when Fangley was done texting, he said something strange.

"I've told you, Mr. Wilde. I won't let any predator starve to death in this place."

Moments later, the doors to the warehouse opened again. What appeared in them was a tiger, dressed in a white apron, holding something in his paws.

What Nick felt then was probably the most wonderful scent he'd ever smelled in his entire life. His mouth immediately watered, and his stomach almost jumped out of his belly.

Attracted by this unexpected gift, even Judy stood up, grabbing the bars in hungry anticipation.

The tiger placed a basket full of a whole variety of vegetables, neatly displayed on cabbage leaves, in front of her. What her partner got was a large cheese pizza.

"Bon appetit," Butcher said to them with a smile, leaving immediately afterwards.

The rabbit and the fox pounced at the food faster than the lions they'd seen in the video attacked the lamb.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The next morning, the guards brought Nick a tray with two home-made fishburgers, fries, and a few cans of pop. Judy got a big bowl of carrots, this time fresh, and a large clover smoothie. Just like last night, the food was gone as soon as it appeared.

They always received three meals a day from then on, and Nick was starting to suspect that Butcher now wished to try to bribe him. Judy's state soon improved greatly, and even though she would still not start a proper conversation, she did respond to his questions with single words, as long as he was able to speak to her at all.

For the rest of the time, the fox was trying to either loosen the metal wires that held their cage together (if he wasn't being watched), or figure out what this change of attitude in their captor could have meant. Fangley was a very mysterious individual, in his opinion. Of course, the fox was deranged, but he had not shown any of it during the times they spoke. If he threatened, he did so in a veiled way. In most cases, he was polite and reasonable though, and being sincere about it. Unlike Woodsworth, his assistant, whose politeness was usually fake and sarcastic.

Nick also noticed that Fangley was the only animal in _Butcher's Den_ who ever talked to Judy in a respective way. Most of the other guards hardly ever even acknowledged her presence, and if they did, it was through yelling and throwing speceist slurs at her. After another day or two had passed, her partner was starting to see a sort of hierarchy amongst the predators, and that not all of them were treated equally by the others. Those of a seemingly higher rank were usually more vicious, except for their very leader…

Although soon Nick was to find out that this was only an impression.

Butcher came to them one evening, relieving another fox from his guard post. The young animal, who for most of his shift was more interested in his phone than in his job, thus giving Nick a great opportunity to fiddle with the wire, seemed to be on familiar relations with Fangley. But the trapped police officer did not have too much time to think about that then.

Butcher wore nothing but his pouch that night, although that one was different than those worn by his subordinates. Nick recognized the fur it was made of.

The beautiful white fur of an arctic rabbit.

That wasn't the most shocking part, however. It was the smell that was coming from the pouch that made the horrified fox's eyes go wide. A scent that attracted him more than even the food he got after being starved for days…

Fangley sat on the floor right in front of the cage, in the light, and took off his pouch.

"Good evening," he said plainly. "I thought that you would be willing to accompany me during dinner tonight."

Nick felt that his paws were starting to shake…

The animal that sat before them opened the pouch, taking out of it a package wrapped in aluminum foil. Then, acting like a true wild beast, he proceeded to unpack it using only his teeth.

Even though he'd eaten not longer than two hours prior, Nick felt his stomach rumble… He was having a hard time swallowing all the saliva his body was producing.

"Stop it… Take that _away_!" he groaned desperately, but his cries fell on deaf ears.

When his dinner was ready, Fangley looked up at his fellow fox, and smiled.

"As the song goes, you've got to _try everything_ , officer Wilde."

He then proceeded to eat. Tearing the fresh meat with his sharp premolars, he cut it into small pieces, which he swallowed whole, smearing bloody juice all over his snout in the process. That lasted for several minutes, which were an excruciating experience for Nick. He could clearly sense that the meat was beef and, although he had not eaten beef nor any other flesh in his entire life, he now wanted to participate in Fangley's dinner _badly_.

And that was what shocked him the most. He was disgusted by the fact that he was _not_ disgusted. For reasons he simply could not point out, he found himself to have developed an instinctive desire for meat... He had been merely attracted to the smell of prey animals' blood before, but he had never experienced anything even comparable to this undeniable, burning hunger.

By the time Butcher was done eating, Nick was on the floor, hyperventilating, groaning out loud from this horrid, confusing new sensation he was now feeling in his body, which he could do nothing about.

The other fox clearly sensed that, and he was fascinated by it. With blood still dripping from his mouth, he approached the bars of the cage to take a closer look at his prisoner. When he did that, Nick moved away, as if fearing that this wicked animal could harm him even more.

But Fangley did no such thing. Instead, softly and almost with content, he said:

"See, Nicholas? You are slowly beginning to understand. This is what we do here. Some of us hunt, whereas others don't. Some kill prey, others just eat the meat. Some prefer it raw, like myself, while others aren't ready for that yet and cook their meals first. We're tolerant about such things. I'm still full of hope that, eventually, you'll fit in as well."

Then he wiped his snout against the bars, leaving some of the juice from the meat on the metal.

At this point, squirming on the floor, Nick closed his eyes. He could feel his heart pounding like a hammer inside of his chest…

When he opened them several minutes later, Fangley was gone, along with his rabbit skin pouch. It was only then that he noticed what Judy was doing.

Overwhelmed with his own reaction, the fox did not pay attention to his partner. He thought that witnessing another horrible scene made Judy curl up under her blanket again… He was wrong.

The rabbit was standing by the bars, her face baring the expression of indescribable anger. She no longer looked depressed nor frightened. When she turned her purple eyes to look at Nick, he felt compelled to pull himself together and, with the greatest effort, stand up and try to speak to her.

"Judy…" he mumbled as his voice shook. "Are you… okay?"

Turning her head rapidly and pricking up her ears, the rabbit stamped the ground with her foot.

"No. No I'm not. After what I've seen here, I'm pretty darn _far_ from okay."

Nick realized how stupid that question must have sounded… Taking a step forward, he outstretched his arm, but his partner raised a paw expressing that she did not wish to be touched. Then she sighed, lowering her head in exasperation.

"I'm sorry. It's not you, it's just… _Uhh!_ "

Seeing the sadness in the fox's eyes, she gave him a sorrowful look herself. Then she collected her thoughts to deliver a more coherent explanation of what was going on with her.

"I'm so sorry. I know I've been acting terrible for the past few days. Seems like they really got to me, didn't they...?"

"Carrots, you'd have to be made of stone for these guys _not_ to get to you! That's not…" Nick attempted to comfort her, but again she motioned to ask him to stop.

"Please, I really need to get this off my chest…" she stated, and then took a deep breath. "Nick, since the moment Fangley told us that my speech at the press conference was the impulse that lead him to become a carnivore, I wanted to die. Although it was unintentional, I became… guilty… for all of this bloodshed. Everything I thought I knew about Zootopia, and the animals that live there, was false. That may not apply to everybody, but still… Zootopia is not as bright as I thought when I entered the Police Academy, with a head full of ideals. My father was right... I shouldn't have believed in my dreams so much."

It was hard for her to speak and she made long pauses in between sentences. Her partner did not know what exactly got her out of her state of depression, or if he would be able to help with that at all, since she was by now fully convinced of her guilt. But finally, he decided to speak to her.

"Well, you know what that also means, don't you? You weren't as ignorant, irresponsible and small-minded as you blamed yourself to be."

"I hate it when I'm right..." Judy answered with a frown.

"Believe me, I do too. But hey, keep that chin up, Carrots. This is why we're here for, right? Like they taught us at the Academy. To protect the innocent… and to punish the bad guys."

"Yeah…" the rabbit let out another sigh. Then, approaching the bars and grasping them tightly with her paws, she uttered through clenched teeth: "I wasn't able to protect the innocents, and maybe I do deserve to die here. But if I do, I'll die trying to bring these _beasts_ to justice."

Seeing even that statement as a sign of improvement, Nick forced an awkward grin.

"I guess both of us had to reevaluate what we think since coming here… Glad to see that you're back in the saddle, partner."

Judy answered with something that, in these circumstances, could also be considered a smile.

"It's good to be back. I guess I still don't know when to quit."

She took a step forward, and Nick let her put her head on his chest. Surrounding her with his paws, he listened to her heavy breath.

They remained like that for a while. The fox was hugely relieved to see that, in spite of all of Fangley's efforts, Judy still trusted him. He was looking for the right words to give her some comfort, but his own thoughts were in such disorder that he just stood there in silence.

Finally, wiping a tear off her face, Judy spoke herself.

"Okay," she said after she let her friend go. "So I noticed you've been trying to unravel that wire on your side of the cage. How's that going?"

Surprised to see that, contrary to what he'd thought, the rabbit had actually been paying attention to what was going on around her, Nick stammered.

" _Err_ , well, it's really thick… I think it's made of steel. Come take a look," he suggested.

* * *

Above their heads, in the surveillance room, a naked fox was sitting in his chair, observing the two prisoners closely.

"They don't seem too scared to me," stated a nude jackal who was sitting on the floor, watching as Nick and Judy attempted to free themselves from their cage.

"Again, Robert. My plan is not to scare them," Butcher answered him. "Mr. Wilde needs to get rid of his unnatural limitations. That is the deal here."

He then jumped to the floor, walked over to the monitor, and turned it off.

"Alright, I think that's enough. Now send someone down there to tuck out two guests in to bed. Stripes or Manendes- they both said they could watch them tonight. I'm going home. Julia keeps telling me I need to spend more time with Ezra, and she's right about that."

"Right away, sir. See you tomorrow," Woodsworth nodded, then walked out of the room.

* * *

Nick was in the middle of a grassy meadow.

He knew it was a dream, because he'd never been to that place just outside of Zootopia he remembered from his childhood since the time he left his parents' home. But it was so nice there that he just didn't want to acknowledge that.

The sun was shining, but he didn't feel the heat. What he did feel was the grass underneath his paws… All four of them. He was running through the plain on his front and hind legs, without any clothes on. The feeling was strangely… liberating. Even more than during the times he would visit the Mystic Springs Oasis.

He ran through the grassy hills, as fast as he could, not feeling strained or tired in the least bit. He was after something. Changing directions, he followed the scent he was feeling in his nostrils, balancing with his tail. He was faster than what was in front of him. He was catching up with it, and it made him feel good.

Finally, he pounced. Grabbing something with his fangs, he rolled over, feeling a sweet taste in his mouth. He collapsed on a soft carpet of flowers and grass, and he knew that he would not let go.

He began eating, satisfying a very intensive hunger. The meal was delightful, and filled him with strength. He was biting and swallowing so rapidly he realized that he didn't even take the time to look at what he'd caught.

Drawing a breath, he lifted his head with a grin. The sun blinded him at first, so he looked down again in order to admire his catch. But when he saw what it was…

Before him lay a rabbit with its guts, parts of which he'd just consumed, spewing out on the ground. It's purple eyes were frozen in a dead stare of terror.

It was Judy.

He woke up with a gasp, and for several seconds, he had trouble remembering where he was. Panting desperately, unable to catch his breath, he threw off the blanket which covered him. It was so hot he thought he would suffocate. In a frantic fit, he took off his tie, tore off his shirt, and cast both away in order to cool himself at least a little bit.

All this time, he was feeling a scent that wouldn't leave him alone. It was so strong and so attractive he thought he would lose his mind if he did not follow it. Relying more on his sense of smell than his sight, he crawled over to the bars of the cage, and started sniffing them.

It was the same spot where Butcher had wiped his snout after eating the meat. Nick could clearly sense that some of the blood was still left on the surface of the metal.

Shaking all over, with a hammering heart, he slowly opened his mouth. The desire he felt needed to be satisfied. He then stuck out his tongue and touched the metal bar with it, licking the blood off of it.

He closed his mouth and shut his eyes in order to savor the taste. He couldn't remember feeling anything this sweet in his entire lifetime.

Woodsworth was right. Compared to that taste, everything he ever ate before seemed like trash.

And then he heard a sound.

In the other corner of the cage, Judy rolled over in her sleep. She did not see what he was doing… But even still, that made him sober up. It was then that he realized what he was doing.

"Oh God…" he yelped.

He quickly stood up on his hind legs again and attempted to spit the blood out, even though he'd already swallowed it. Then, taking his shirt from the floor, he quickly put it back on, lied down on his blanket, and rolled up in a ball.

 _What have they done to me?_ he asked himself again and again, feeling that this night he'd experienced the true definition of fear.

* * *

 **AN: _Never let 'em see that they get to you,_ my foot! **

**Sorry about that Nick, I guess I spoiled your name day... Or did I?  
**

 **In Zootopia, anyone can be anything. These guys, they be carnivores ;) Finally, we see them committing actual acts of carnivorism. Shocking, isn't it? Well, to a citizen of Zootopia, that's probably comparable to cannibalism in real life.** **Anyone have any fava beans and Chianti? XD**

 **But is it really _that_ evil? What do you guys think?  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Yay, chapter ten already! Okay, enough of all this gore. At least for now…**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

For a very long time after what happened during the night when Fangley ate meat in their presence, Nick was feeling extremely bad. He became afraid of his own self and, for a while, he even thought that the turn has come for him to fall into depression… But knowing that he had to cooperate with Judy if the carnivores were ever to be stopped, he managed to hide from her what was going on inside of him.

But still, his conscience wouldn't give him peace. What had happened? What caused him to suddenly dream of hunting and develop an appetite for blood? Though he did it only instinctively, not deliberately, he could not deny what he felt. Was it the very sight of a predator eating flesh that caused such a reaction in him? Was Butcher right when he said that, eventually, instinct would take over and overcome his reason? But that meant that, indeed, deep inside he was no different than all of them…

These questions wouldn't cease to haunt him, and yet he kept stubbornly reassuring himself that it was otherwise. He couldn't even think about his dream, or that he could ever be able to harm Judy. As he filled up his stomach with the meatless food that was brought to him, he was convinced that it was enough to sustain him. He didn't need meat. He never had.

The dream did not happen again. His hunger for blood eventually subsided.

Soon, him and Judy had gotten acquainted with the customs of their guards to an extent that they knew what they could and could not do when specific animals were watching them. For example, when it was Brenda's shift, they had to sit in their corners without moving a muscle. But whenever the young, scraggly-looking fox named Lawrence came to take her place, they could walk around the cage, talk, and even continue their work at unwinding the steel wire on Nick's side whenever their guard was preoccupied with playing with his phone again.

They both estimated that they had been prisoners for about ten days now, and that ZPD must have begun a regular search for them already. Unfortunately, that most likely meant that they were just added to the list of lost animals, as they kept their first trip to Tundratown a secret, and nobody knew where they went afterwards… Also the animals at Butcher's Den did not give away any proof that the two police officers were being looked for by anyone. Nick and Judy hoped that everyone was just being quiet about it, though.

Each other's company was the only thing that made them stay sane. They would alternately mock their less ferocious guards, having a kind of competition about which of them can answer with more sass and make the carnivores more angry. But they had to be careful with that, because in spite of not being permitted to use their claws or fangs against them, the predators still had other weapons, like the water hose and the threat of eating the food they were supposed to give to the prisoners themselves.

Lawrence the fox, however, was so harmless at doing his job that they didn't even bother to make fun of him. He never yelled at either of them, never used the hose, and hardly ever paid any attention to what they were doing. Nick even noticed that he always wore clothes, even at night, which was a unique thing in this weird place.

One day, when the young fox's shift came again, he was standing right next to their cage, visibly bored. Since they couldn't really try anything funny with him being so close, in spite of everything, Judy decided to get to know him a little better.

"So," she addressed him plainly while sitting on her blanket, "I understand that your name is Lawrence?"

The reluctant animal looked down at her for a second… and turned his head away without a word.

Then Nick decided to enter the conversation.

"Listen here, kit," he confronted him. "The lady asked you a question. Didn't your parents teach you any respect?"

Unfazed by that remark, the guard frowned. Although, he did respond.

"I ain't got no parents, okay? And I've been told I'm not supposed to talk to prey animals…"

"And why's that?" Nick inquired with a slight note of anger in his voice.

"What happened to your parents?" Judy's question, on the other hand, was more compassionate.

The young fox gave them both a short narrowed glare, as if pondering if they were at all worth speaking to. Then he shrugged.

"The others don't talk to prey animals because prey animals are our food. As for me, I'm an orphan."

The answer was kind of dismissive and predictable, but Nick decided to press on.

"Aren't you, like, Fangley's son or something?"

" _Puh_! Nah, Fangley's real son, Ezra, is way younger than me," the guard said with a smirk. "He just took me from the street and let me work in his factory. I used to be one of those petty thieves that make our species look bad. But I'm guessing you wouldn't consider coming from there to here as _progress_ , would ya?"

He was probably expecting another reproof, but then, all of a sudden, Judy did something that astonished both of the foxes. Namely, she got up, went over to the bars, and stretched her paw out toward the young animal.

"I'm Judy," she said politely.

 _What is that crazy rabbit planning?_ Nick thought in his mind. _This is either completely stupid, or completely brilliant. I'm not sure._

Their guard looked at the paw reaching out to him from between the metal bars for a second suspiciously. He did not shake it, but he did introduce himself to Judy.

"I'm Lawrence Vulpine," he said dryly.

Adopting a sad demeanor, the rabbit took her paw back.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, Lawrence," she mumbled, looking him in the eyes. "Why would you shake my paw? After all, you probably hunt and kill weak little prey animals like me…"

 _Hm, she's trying to make him feel sorry,_ Nick estimated. _That may be a good start for something._

To the two prisoners' surprise, the young fox responded rather awkwardly.

"I-I don't hunt," he stammered, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, they let me eat meat, but I don't have to kill the prey myself. It's optional. They don't force you to do that if you don't want to."

"So you've never killed anyone?" Judy kept asking.

"No, I haven't," Lawrence confessed. "It's not my thing."

 _That's good to know,_ thought the other fox. _If we do get out of here, Mr. Vulpine might just be lucky enough to not be put down for murder… unlike his step-father, and the rest of his friends. But, if killing is not his thing, that means that even the members of Butcher's Den must not be on the same page with all this instinct business!_

"So I take that you're kind of a lower-ranking member of this little club of connoisseurs, then?" Nick kept interrogating the young animal for more answers. "I guess the _hunters_ get more benefits than you, don't they?"

The guard manifested another snort.

" _Hmf!_ I've got just as many _benefits_ as the hunters! Butcher basically treats me as if I were his kid. How else do you think I get to watch you guys? The whole darn factory wants to do that, and they're not even allowed to come to see you!"

"So we're really _that_ popular around here?" Judy asked in disbelief.

"Yeah!" laughed the fox. "You've become sort of an event. People've been making bets about what's gonna happen to each of you. Some are dyin' to see you… _Huh-huh_. I guess they'll all have the chance to do that tonight…"

 _This milking for info is starting to pay off,_ Nick though with satisfaction.

"And why's that, pray tell?" he asked, grinning.

"Oh, you'll see," said Lawrence. Then he looked at his watch. "In about two or three hours."

They didn't speak more afterwards, but there was really no need. Soon after their conversation, Nick and Judy were blinded by a flash of fluorescent lights. For the first time since they were locked there, someone turned on all of the lamps within the warehouse.

Standing up, blinking to get used to this intensive light which they had not seen for days, they noticed several workers, amongst whom were Larry and Barry, entering the area.

"What're they up to now?" Judy wondered.

"I dunno," Nick answered her, "but I just hope it's not something worse than what we've already seen…"

The duo of prisoners noticed that there were hooks sticking out of the white-washed walls of the warehouse. The workers put up the ladders they brought with them close to the hooks, and began hanging large posters on them. Many of the posters were similar to the flyer which chief Bogo had given to them, and had depictions of natural food chains. Others bore propaganda slogans, like 'predator supremacy', 'integral naturalism', 'freedom to hunt is our right', and 'down with Zootopia'.

"They're getting ready for some sort of a political gathering!" the fox estimated.

"More ideological than political, I'd say…" his rabbit partner corrected him. "Hey, look at that!"

She then pointed to a larger poster which two of the workers had just begun to unroll. The sign on top of it read, 'The Carnivore Principles'.

"Well, so they _do_ have rules over here, after all," Nick commented mockingly. "How civilized."

When the poster was finally fully displayed on the wall, Judy began reading out loud.

"One _. All predators have the right to hunt and consume prey, according to instinct and the natural food chains_."

"Obviously," sneered her partner.

"Two. _No predator is allowed to kill another predator_."

"Now that's not exactly how it used to be. But they _did_ also say that they're not _savages_ , after all!"

"Three. Uhm _… no predator is allowed to eat the flesh of another predator, of his own species or otherwise… unless he is in dire need_."

"Darn. I wonder how they interpret the phrase _in dire need_?"

"Four. _Prey is to be slain swiftly, without cruelty or inflicting extra pain_."

" _Phew_ … That's a relief!"

"Five. _No predator is allowed to hunt for sport alone, without consuming the prey_."

"Because that would be a total waste of perfectly good meat… Oh, and the life of a fellow animal, as well. I almost forgot."

"Six. _All carnivores are free to choose to either hunt their prey, or to remain carrion eaters_."

"We just found that one out from Lawrence today."

"Seven. _Hunters are to treat those who choose to remain carrion eaters with respect_."

"Too bad that _respect_ doesn't apply to prey. Some animals are more equal than others, I guess"

"Eight. _For any official gatherings within Butcher's Den, no clothing is to be worn, and the quadruped stance observed by all those present._ "

"No matter how ugly you are."

"Nine. _No prey is to be hunted outside of the boundaries of Butcher's Den_."

"Because we want to keep our slaughter regulated and a secret."

"And finally, ten. _The existence, whereabouts, and practices of Butcher's Den are to be held in strict confidence by all members. All transgressions against this rule will be punishable by death_."

"Huh. Harsh rules are better than no rules, I guess," Nick joked in a rather gloomy manner. "Hey, doesn't that contradict rule number two? And does breaking the other rules results in the death penalty, as well? Or do they just make you wear clothes all the time as punishment?"

Judy, however, wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"I think this might just be a first draft," she stated. "Still, they seem to be getting ready for a convention of some sort. Maybe they discuss such things during those? We better keep our eyes open."

The preparations lasted for another hour or so. After the workers were done with the posters, they set up a sort of a stage right in front of Nick and Judy's cage. Lawrence was walking around, inspecting the work, occasionally giving instructions to Larry and Barry. The two dogs, who looked like they were in charge, did not seem to appreciate that too much, however.

Not long afterward, predators of all shapes and sizes, young and old, male and female, started showing up in groups. All of them were naked, customarily walking around on all fours, and spoke to one another enthusiastically.

The gathering was something extraordinary indeed, and reminded Nick of a huge naturalist club. He and Judy saw canids, felines, bears, weasels, and even a couple of reptiles. Most of the carnivores would stop by their cage, embarrassing both of the prisoners by looking at them as if they were exhibits at a museum. They seemed to be familiar with the fact that Butcher had caught the first rabbit and fox to ever become ZPD officers. Especially Judy realized that, when they were looking at her, they all recognized the police officer who had once told them all that they were genetically predisposed to be carnivores in the first place…

Her partner seemed less concerned with the spectators, however.

"Darn. If I knew we'd be in the center of attention, I'd have changed my shirt. I've been wearing this thing for almost two weeks now…" Nick said to ease the tension a little bit, fixing his dirty, wrinkled tie.

Wanting to occupy herself with her police duty, trying to remember as many of the carnivores' faces as possible, Judy did not answer at first. And then she gasped.

" _Huh!_ Nick, take a look at that female leopard over there!" she whispered, pulling the fox's sleeve.

"The one that's talking to the big nasty croc? What about her?"

"She's the assistant director of the Zootopia Department of Transportation!"

"Oh really? Well, as soon as we get out of here, the only transportation she'll be worried about will be a short trip behind bars…"

All of a sudden, Nick stopped in mid-sentence. The groaning sound he made then caused Judy to look at him in concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing her partner frowning in displeasure.

"Dang, why am I not surprised," he whined. "Seems that I recognize _someone_ as well."

The fox didn't even have to point at the animal he was speaking of, as a middle-aged coyote with a broad grin on his face was already walking toward them. To make conversation easier, he stood on his hind legs and put his paws on his hips.

"Well well, if it isn't Nick the Quick…" jeered the canid. "Never thought I'd see _you_ again!"

Nick 'the Quick' ground his fangs and clenched his fists…

"Oh, I on the other hand _dreamed_ that I could get my paws on your hide again many times… Too bad for the cage. I should have known you're a carnivore. You always had an overgrown appetite… And I used to think it was only for money!"

As the coyote laughed out loud, the confused Judy asked her partner:

"Would you mind introducing me to your friend?"

" _Friend?_ " Nick repeated in a mocking manner. "I don't make friends with filthy, lying rats! This is Chase. He's my one-time partner. We used to do… _business_ together."

The coyote put his paw on his heart with staged sorrow.

"Oh Nicky, you're hurting me! I used to greatly value you as an accomplice!"

"Chase, _I almost died!_ Do you even realize that?!" the fox growled at him in a way that indicated that, if the bars weren't restraining him from it, he would have pounced at his former partner.

"Oh really? Well, it's not like you didn't know what sort of a risk you were taking…" the canid said casually, looking at his claws.

"Wait a minute," the curious rabbit interrupted them again. "Nick, what sort of business were you two involved in?"

The fox took a few more angry breaths. Then he uttered:

"Remember what I told you about the rug I sold to Mr. Big?"

It was then that Judy understood.

"The skunk butt rug? Ohhh, so you bought it from…"

"That's right!" Chase smiled with satisfaction. "I made a great deal. What's the matter, Nicky? You're acting as if you didn't know what the rug was really made of from the very beginning!"

The rabbit looked at his partner curiously, and for a second it seemed like he ran out of arguments. Then, still quite furious, he burst out:

"I _didn't_ know that you tore it from the back of some innocent animal!"

" _Hmf!_ " snorted the coyote. "And what _did_ you think? That he just donated the fur from his butt willingly? But, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't kill the skunk. I never were a fan of that kind of cuisine. Even now, here in _Butcher's Den_ , I'm just a carrion eater- a harmless, second-class member…"

Nick was so mad his own fur looked redder than usual.

"Yeah, right! All of you are just as tame as a convention of frickin' stamp collectors! Nude, beastly _stamp collectors_ ," he continued growling. "I wish I had my phone on me… I'd just dial 911 and, in a matter of minutes, all of you would be taken away in muzzles."

Chase the coyote sighed, turning his head helplessly at his one-time partner's reaction.

"Nicky, Nicky… I gotta say, I was so happy when I found out that you managed to tame the shrew somehow and that Mr. Big spared your life. The more I was disappointed when I heard that you entered the police… But, perhaps, there's still a chance that we could forgive one another, and work together again in the future?"

"I refuse to be a walkin' stereotype!" the answer came in the form of a scream that attracted the attention of some of the gathered carnivores. "Which is what all of you are! It's monsters like _you_ that mothers of prey animals warn their kids about when they don't let them play with predators! Because of _you_ , they're gonna kick us all out of the cities, and then we'll have to lurk in caves and forests, like in prehistoric times!"

After looking in the fox's furious eyes for a while, the canid shrugged.

"Well, too bad. Seems that you still haven't overcome your old frustrations… I kind of like the forest myself, to tell you the truth." he then turned toward Judy. "Besides, you've already found a new partner for yourself, haven't you? It's amazing that she trusted you. I like your bunny friend, I really do. I think she looks like a snack… Should have stayed at the carrot farm, shouldn't you, little fuzz ball?"

"Bite me!" this time, the smaller prisoner also gazed at the coyote in rage.

" _Puh!_ Poor choice of words… I would if I could, believe me," Chase uttered finally, and turning his tail on both of them, departed.

The official part of the gathering was about to begin. Nick and Judy estimated that there were about 60-70 animals present which, compared to Butcher's earlier assurance that _they receive new members almost daily_ , wasn't that much of a crowd. They had no idea what percentage of the carnivores was present that day, however.

They soon saw Fangley and Woodsworth entering the warehouse. As soon as their leader walked into the room, all of the members of _Butcher's Den_ greeted him with a cacophony of beastly sounds- grunts, howls and roars, which must have been their savage way of applauding him.

The fox jumped on top of the stage and, looking down on his associates, began to speak. First he greeted everyone at the Carnivore Club's monthly gathering, and introduced a bunch of new members. A male cat and a she-bear, looking terribly embarrassed because of standing naked in front of so many animals, probably for the first time in their lives, also walked onto the stage. The other participants praised them with another wave of wild sounds.

Afterwards, Fangley announced that their cooperation with the reptiles was going well, and that the two groups of predators have now established a strong alliance which, as he hoped, would be a lasting one. A delegation of crocodiles then entered the podium, causing another storm of applause.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Nick whispered to Judy. Unfortunately, Lawrence, their guard, also heard him saying that.

"Hey! Shut up!" the young fox growled at him under his voice.

The already triggered police officer wanted to throw some smug remark back at him, but he relented when Butcher mentioned his name.

"… I am also happy to present to you the ones you've probably had a chance to see for yourselves already," spoke the group's leader, making everyone turn around toward the cage. "Judith Hopps, Zootopia's first rabbit cop. I'm sure you all remember her from her illuminating press release from four years ago. And, of course, how can I forget Mr. Nicholas Wilde- the first ZPD officer of my species and, as I am fully convinced, a soon-to-be member of our club."

To the startled fox's horror, the howl that followed that announcement was even louder than the previous ones. Then, a pack of overzealous wolves that stood near their cage began to chant something that the other animals soon picked up.

" _Eat her! Eat her! Eat her!"_ they yelled, making Nick and Judy look at one another, mouths agape.

"This is plain crazy…" mumbled the rabbit, unsure if she was more depressed, angry, or amused by the carnivores' utter lack of sense.

Finally, laughing out loud, Fangley managed to outshout the crowd and convince them to settle down. He went on with his speech, praising the supposed successful growth of his organization. Going off on an ideological tangent, he then began ranting about the flaws of Zootopia society, and how the reliance on technology, seen by them as the result of the cooperation of evolved predators and prey animals, is in fact harmful- how it robbed the animals living in the city from their natural skills of survival in the wild.

"In the end," Butcher summarized, "Zootopia must fail. It will either cave in due to its weakness, or it will be conquered and reorganized. According to _our_ order- the order of nature."

A savage outcry broke out, marking the end of the speech. The unbridled choir of beastly sounds was mixed with chanting of propaganda slogans, the most popular of which was 'down with Zootopia'.

Looking into her partner's eyes, Nick could clearly sense that this was the last thing Judy wanted to happen. True, Zootopia may not have been as perfect as the country girl had once thought, but even an imperfect society was way better than anarchy. The defiance he noticed in her demeanor gave strength to him, as well. They needed to continue fighting against this mob- that was his resolution.

They remained standing for just a few more moments, however. Unfortunately, the monthly gathering of the Carnivore Club was to be concluded with a banquet… When servants began bringing in trays with various types of meat on them, both prisoners hid underneath their blankets in a desperate attempt to shield themselves from the sounds and smells that surrounded them.

* * *

 **AN:** _ **The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club**_ **XD**

 **So our heroes, willingly or not, are making progress in their exploration of Zootopia's shady underbelly of the practitioners of meat eating.**

 **I guess that, if reptiles even exist in this universe, they may have been cast out of society for the very fact of being unable to adapt to a vegetarian lifestyle. This would make them natural allies to the likes of Fangley and his gang. It's just a theory. What do you guys think?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

After the carnivores' gathering, Nick and Judy, feeling sick to their stomachs, decided to rest for a bit. Especially that the next guard who came to watch them was Kane, and they really didn't feel like getting doused with water from the hose again. So they remained in their corners, deciding to go to sleep earlier.

After a short time, however, when the lights were already off and even their jackal jailor was starting to dose off, the doors opened again. The prisoners weren't too surprised to see Oscar Fangley yet another time…

But the scent that entered the room along with the fox was much more shocking. It especially attracted Nick, and it was in a way that even the smell of prey's blood would never be able to catch his attention.

Following the Butcher, appearing before their eyes only when she entered the light, came a beautiful vixen. She must have been at least a few years younger than the male… and like him, she was not wearing any clothes. Right by her side, there toddled a fox kit, no older than twelve. He was looking at the prisoners with excited curiosity.

Nick swallowed loudly… The pheromones in the air were making him feel _very_ uncomfortable. He only prayed that he would be able to hide that from his partner.

Judy stood up and narrowed her tired eyes.

"Good evening," Fangley addressed her politely. "I'm so sorry to disturb you even more after such a long day, but I wanted to finally introduce you to my family."

That was what they were afraid of. Of course, they knew that Butcher had a wife and son. They just hoped that they were not carnivores as well…

The fox looked toward the vixen, who fawned against his side affectionately.

"This is Julia, my lovely mate," he said, looking into her eyes with a smile. "Sorry she couldn't be here earlier. She works as an architect in Zootopia, and is very busy."

Try as he might, Nick couldn't get his eyes off the pretty young female. Only the sound of Judy's voice made him snap out of his enchantment.

"Your _mate?!_ " the rabbit cried out in an angry outrage. "Don't you mean your _wife_?"

Julia didn't as much as honor her with a single glare. Her husband was also occupied with expressing his feelings for her, but he did answer.

"Oh yes, my wife!" he chuckled. "We are legally married, according to Zootopia law. But we prefer to use that more old fashioned term, instead."

Disgusted by the couple's caresses, Judy frowned and turned her eyes toward the kit.

"And this, I presume, is your son?" she crossed her arms, gazing at the little fox that continued to observe her closely.

"Ezra," his father said to him. "Be a good boy and introduce yourself to the rabbit."

The kit then bowed his head and grinned.

"I'm Ezra Fangley!" he announced enthusiastically. "Pleased to meet you, Officer Hopps! And especially you, Officer Wilde!"

He was the type of kid Judy would normally give one of her police badge stickers to for good behavior. Nick thought that he kind of reminded him of himself when he was still trying to become a Ranger. And all of that just made things worse. They could only imagine what kind of stuff his father had put into the juvenile predator's mind.

"Ezra is the best little mammal in his class," Butcher boasted, looking at his son with pride. "He's also won a bunch of awards in soccer and baseball. I'm sure you understand that it's his diet that is helping him to achieve such results. I hope that, in a few years, he'll be ready to take over the company. I think we'll have to change the name to _Fangley & Son _at that point."

As the father spoke, the mother leaned down to whisper into Ezra's ear.

"It's time for your dinner, darling."

The kit nodded, baring his sharp little fangs in a smile. Julia then took off a large purse made of fur, the only thing she was wearing, and opened it.

Judy and Nick's hearts almost froze…

" _No!_ " yelped the rabbit, clenching her teeth as tears appeared in her eyes. Seeing the blissful ignorance in the child's eyes was just too much for her.

The vixen, after licking the top of her son's head, took out of her purse a leftover box which clearly had meat in it. Meanwhile, her mate was piercing the two prisoners with a cold, merciless gaze.

Nick could smell what kind of meat it was… and he couldn't believe Fangley's wickedness, both towards them and his own son. He just hoped that Judy herself would not be able to sense that the flesh came from a member of her own species.

He wanted to run away. He wanted to scream. But, sadly, he was unable to do anything- both the scents in the air and the horror of what was going on before his eyes completely paralyzed him.

Julia set the leftover box in front of Ezra, and opened it. The kit looked at the food with a grin, and licked his lips. His stomach was rumbling.

" _Stop!_ " Judy exclaimed in despair. She had to hold on to the bars in order not to swoon. "Ezra, please! Don't _eat that!_ "

The young fox's parents gazed her way, a demand for her to stop written all over their faces. Their son also lifted his eyes and looked at the female officer curiously.

This was her chance.

"Ezra, think about what you are doing!" she then burs out. "This animal you're about to eat… It used to be just like me! Just like the prey animals you see every day, like your friends at school! It could walk and talk, it laughed and cried, it had a family of its own… And now, it's dead!"

"Silence, Judith!" Fangley rebuked her, his anger growing rapidly.

The kit, confused, looked to his mother.

"Don't worry about her, dear," she whispered to him softly. "Go on, eat! You haven't had anything since lunch!"

But Judy didn't care about what they were saying anymore. A spark of rage appeared in her eyes which even Nick had not seen before. Tapping the floor with her foot repeatedly, she looked as if she wanted to punch someone.

"Listen here, you _deviants_!" she yelled straight in the Fangley family's faces. "I've seen some sick beasts in my job as a cop, but you outdo them all! Not only are you murderers, but you even pass the same crazy lies on to your children, as if it were a normal thing?! Well, it isn't! Killing and eating others is _not_ normal! Walking around naked in front of everyone is _not_ normal! You say you're naturalists?! Well, do you run to the forest anytime you need to use the bathroom, too? Do you spray urine in your house to mark your territory?!"

With each new word of Judy's rant, Julia and Oscar were becoming more and more furious, while Ezra became more and more confused. Finally, his ears fell, and it looked as if he lost his appetite.

When the rabbit was done screaming, or rather lost her breath, Butcher gazed at her only for a second. Then, turning to his mate, he calmly said:

"Take Ezra to my office."

"Oscar…" protested the vixen.

"You heard what I said!" he yelled at her. "Go upstairs, and wait there for me!"

Visibly angry at everyone around, the female shoved the leftover box back in her purse, and hurried her son.

"C'mon, Ezra!" she growled, and threw a final stare of rage toward Judy before leaving the warehouse along with her stupefied kit.

The carnivorous fox and the vicious rabbit then shared a mutual look of disdain. Butcher could clearly see the feeling of triumph in the rabbit cop's eyes.

With a stone-cold expression, he turned to the guard, who had been observing the whole scene from afar.

"De Silva."

Kane quickly and obediently ran up to his boss.

" _Uhm_ , yessir?" asked the jackal, himself starting to shudder.

Fangley stretched out his paw toward him.

"Give me your gun," he hissed.

Judy took a few steps back as her eyes opened wide…

Kane, whose paws were shaking, reached into his own pouch. Then, grabbing the weapon he carried inside, he handed it to Butcher.

The fox unlocked the pistol, and aimed it at Judy. Her partner, still petrified, didn't even have time to react…

The warehouse was filled with the sound of a gunshot. Kane flinched, covering his ears, as the animal that stood by him continued to fire round after round until the clip was empty. The smoking bullet shells rolled on the floor.

When the echo of the final blast resounded, Nick opened his eyes and looked around. His partner was on the floor, covering her head with her paws.

" _JUDY!_ " he cried. Regaining the use of his muscles, he rushed to her side.

"S-sir…" stammered the terrified guard, addressing Fangley, who was still holding the gun. "M-mind the ricochets, sir…"

Nick discovered with relief that Judy was, actually, completely unhurt. At the last moment before firing, Butcher redirected his gun toward the wall. Kneeling down on the floor, the police officer put his paw on his friend's shoulder, and looked into her frightened eyes. She was shaking like a leaf, and her nose twitched as if it had a life of its own.

"T-that… was not… a tranquilizer gun…" she stuttered.

Behind his back, Nick then heard a howl of pure rage. Throwing the gun to the floor and falling down on all fours again, almost frothing at the mouth, Butcher looked at Judy with blood-shot eyes.

It was then that they were able to witness the fullness of his savagery.

" _I should eat you myself!_ " Fangley screamed at the completely stunned rabbit, exposing his fangs. "I should have your head _on a plate_! If you think that you'll still get out of this cage alive somehow, Judith, you are mistaken. And if you _ever_ try to indoctrinate my family with your filth again, I will throw your bloody carcass to the dogs! _Do you hear me?!_ "

His final thundering roar of fury made even Kane the jackal quiver in fear. Butcher then quickly departed, and the last thing they heard from him that night was the sound he made as he slammed the warehouse door behind his back.

* * *

 **AN: Apparently, in English, a baby fox is called a 'kit'. Beats me, why.**

 **Even though it almost came at a great cost, Judy did manage to stop little Ezra Fangley from consuming rabbit meat, and maybe even planted a seed of doubt in his heart. So one point for herbivores, I guess. Good job, Officer Hopps. Now Butcher is _really_ triggered...  
**

 **It's interesting if you compare this to older Disney movies, like the Lion King or The Fox and the Hound. There, sentient predators clearly mention that they kill and eat prey animals, who are just as sentient as them. Even the cub Simba mentions that, scandalizing Timon and Pumbaa. It's then that the two insectivores decide to tame the lion by feading him with bugs. Perhaps the Lion King actually does happen in the same universe as Zootopia, only thousands of years earlier, when society wasn't as advanced yet?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Snapping out of his shock, Kane the jackal picked his gun up from the floor, and proceeded to reload it. Snorting awkwardly, he addressed the duo of terrified prisoners:

"Dang, you ticked 'em off good this time."

Nick didn't listen to him, however. Embarrassed by his own inaction, he now started frantically examining Judy for any possible injuries.

"Carrots, are you sure you're okay?!" he asked her repeatedly.

The rabbit had by now been able to calm down a bit, though her heart was still acting as if it wanted to jump out of her chest.

"I think he was just trying to scare me…" she stated after making sure that she wasn't hurt. "Darn. Nobody ever shot a gun at me before I met _you_!"

The sight of her smile, even if it was forced, also made Nick feel a little better.

"Hey, remember that when you met me, you were still just an overzealous meter maid! Oh wait, that's right. Come to think of it, I _am_ surprised you didn't get shot at back then."

They both laughed out loud.

"I kind of wish Butcher _did_ try to eat me himself," the rabbit showed to be familiar with dark humor. "If he did, maybe he'd choke to death, and it would be the end of that problem!"

"Yeah, well, I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him just yet…" answered her partner, not particularly amused.

In the end, even though the situation was a scary one, both of them got out of it untouched. Kane quickly made them separate, and they both went to sleep.

Nick was awaken by the smell of breakfast. Opening his eyes, he saw a tray with a bugburger and a cup of coffee on it. On the side, there stood Judy's morning veggie basket.

That may have been a nice site to behold for a prisoner, but a more nasty one lurked right behind it. In front of the cage stood Woodsworth in his yuppie suit, along with Burns the tiger and Manendes the lion- two strongest carnivores in _Butcher's Den_.

As soon as Nick noticed the nasty smile on the bobcat's face, he knew what was going to happen. They were probably about to be punished for what happened last night…

" _Carrots!_ " the fox called his partner. "Wake up, we've got company."

When Judy saw the predators herself, she stood up and looked at them cockily, as if trying to show them that they couldn't hurt her as long as she was in the cage.

The awkward silence was making Nick feel uncomfortable, however.

" _Err,_ what do you want?" he asked Fangley's assistant, who still just stood there exhibiting a malicious smirk.

"Oh, nothing much," the feline answered with his typical sarcasm. "You'll find out soon enough. I advise you to eat your breakfast while it's still hot."

The duo of prisoners hesitated… and then Robert yelled at them.

"What's the matter with you?! Eat your bloody breakfast! Quit looking at it as if it were poisoned, or something!"

So Nick and Judy began to eat, as the bobcat kept mumbling:

"You should be happy we even still give you food at this point…"

When both of them were done, Woodsworth had Burns and Manendes take the dishes away. When they were back, he crossed his paws on his chest, and exposed to them what was the purpose of his visit.

"Now, Officer Wilde, I would like to take you for a walk," he said. "I'm sure you'll _enjoy_ coming out from behind bars after such a long time, even for a while."

That may have sounded tempting, but Nick definitely did not like the way the bobcat pronounced the word _enjoy_ … nor the nasty spark that appeared in his eye when he said that.

" _Uhm_ , no thanks. I think I'll just stay here," was his answer.

Woodsworth smiled even more.

"No, you misunderstand. You _will_ come with us, Officer Wilde. And it's going to either be peacefully… or the _hard_ way."

As soon as their boss spoke those words, the two feline guards, who were both wearing work clothes, opened a big bag of tools they brought with them. From inside of it, one of them took out an item the sight of which almost made Nick's knees shake.

A muzzle.

" _NO!_ " he yelled, falling into in an uncontrollable fit of panic. Trying to swiftly move away, he hit the bars behind him with his back. His fingers clenched on the metal as he shivered in terror. "I'LL _GO!_ I'LL GO PEACEFULLY! JUST DON'T PUT THAT _THING_ ON MY FACE!"

His reaction made Judy feel extremely anxious and sorry for her partner… She remembered what he had once told her about the scarring experiences from his youth.

" _Nick!_ " she gasped, then turning toward Woodsworth. "Where're you taking him, you _beasts?!_ "

"That is none of your concern," said the bobcat, and pointed at the two guards. "Get to work!"

Burns and Manendes took out a pair of wire cutters from their bag, and proceeded to remove the steel string which held the four walls of the cage together on one side. With just a few motions of their massive arms, an exit was ready.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, Judy made a step forward…

... only to stop instantly as Woodsworth drew a gun and pointed it at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he uttered seriously. "I'll shoot a flea off a dog's back at 50 yards, and I'm aiming for your grey little head, rabbit. And if _I_ fire, the bullets will not hit the wall like last night. Now, _stay right where you are!_ "

Not really able to do anything else but put her paws up in the air, angry and embarrassed, Judy obeyed. She observed as the lion and the tiger walked into their cage, and pulled Nick away from the bars. Then they placed him face to face with Woodsworth.

"So, what does the fox say, _hm_? Will you walk by yourself, or should I use that muzzle and put a collar around your neck?" asked the bobcat.

"I'll walk…" mumbled Nick in a gloomy resignation.

"Good," he nodded, putting his gun back in a holster concealed under his jacket. "Burns, lock the cage and stay here with Miss Hopps. Manendes and I will escort Mr. Wilde upstairs."

The tiger then grabbed a huge padlock from the tool bag and placed it on the bars of the cage, locking Judy inside again. As the fox proceeded to walk out of the warehouse along with the other two felines, he turned around to share one final glare of sorrow with his partner.

He didn't even want to think of what they were about to do to him… Instead, he tried to focus on memorizing where exactly he was being taken within the factory. It turned out that the warehouse where they were being held was actually underground, and was in fact a big empty basement of one of _Fangley Industries_ ' production halls. In order to get out of it, he had to follow Woodsworth and Manendes up a few sets of staircases.

Eventually, they made it to a gallery which overlooked a huge hall full of roaring machinery and predators in dungarees busy about their duties. Hardly anyone noticed him, but those that did, would stand still for a second and gaze at him curiously. He hurried his steps, wishing to vanish from their sigh as soon as possible.

They then entered a corridor that led to one of the office buildings. Since it had large windows on one side, Nick decided to look out through it. He wanted to see the sky for the first time in days. The bright summer sun blinded him at first, but when his eyes got used to the light…

He wished that he hadn't looked at all.

In the distance, by a large furnace, there stood a wolverine with a shovel. For just a brief moment, the police officer was able to see what the worker was doing. Nick had the impression that the animal was shoveling bones, and throwing them into the fire…

Swallowing loudly, he quickly turned his head the other way.

After walking up another set of stair, the three predators halted in a place Nick recognized. They were in front of Oscar Fangley's office.

"Well, this is where we parted the last time!" the bobcat pointed out, grinning sarcastically. "Was I with you, or with that other fox named Falscher? I can't remember… Anyway, this is the end of our trip. Go right ahead, Mr. Wilde!"

Looking at the smiling feline with a cocked brow, unsure of what was about to happen, Nick put his paw on the door knob hesitantly.

"Come on!" Woodsworth encouraged him. "You've nothing to worry about, I assure you!"

With another deep breath, the fox entered the room. Somebody locked the door behind his back.

In front of her secretary's desk, there sat Brenda Huntswell. Nick thanked God that she was wearing that passé suit of hers again, unlike when she was guarding him and Judy…

"Well?" the mountain lioness growled, gazing at him from behind her thick glasses. "What are you waiting for? Move your ginger rump!"

Smiling awkwardly, Nick nodded and began walkng toward the door to Fangley's office. It was harder for him with each step, though.

Suddenly, the puma snorted, and rolled her office chair away from her desk. The fox froze…

Without much ceremony, Brenda grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, picked him up, and opening the door for him, threw him inside the room.

Shocked by her sudden action, Nick attempted to escape the way he came in… but the door was already locked.

Then he felt something very intriguing. The scent within Fangley's office was indeed that of another fox…

… but it was not one of a _male_ fox.

Behind Oscar Fangley's desk, there sat a gorgeous young vixen, wearing a blood-red skirt. Her pretty face seemed familiar to Nick.

" _J-Julia?_ " he stammered, completely surprised. "I mean, Mrs. Fangley? What are _you_ doing here?"

Amused by the shock of her interlocutor, the vixen stood up. Swinging her beautiful long tail in the air, she sat on top of the desk and crossed her legs, chuckling.

" _Haha!_ It's been quite a while since someone confused me with Julia," she said with a smile. "I'm not Oscar's mate, silly! I'm her younger sisiter! My name's Scarlet Vixey, and I'm _very_ glad to meet you, Officer Wilde."

Understanding what a fool he'd made of himself, Nick quickly ran up to the female, and kissed the paw she stretched out to him.

" _Err,_ pleasure's all mine, ma'am," he mumbled. "Pardon my mistake… and my appearance."

He remembered that he was wearing the same dirty clothes he's had on for the past two weeks. Plus, he had not taken a shower during all that time, as well.

Miss Vixey, on the other hand, was looking simply fabulous in her slick gown. She wasn't wearing any perfume or make up, but still, he had to hand it to her…

She was as hot as the summer sun outside.

Hearing his apology, the female just smiled.

"Don't worry about that at all, honey. We're naturalists here. Why should I feel offended if your scent is just, you know, _natural_? I've been asking my brother-in-law to let me see you for so long, and now that you're here, I don't care about how you're dressed!"

She was acting extremely polite, though Nick knew perfectly well that this was probably just some kind of a trick. After all, Scarlet may have been a pretty fox, but she was _still_ a fox. _And_ a carnivore.

"Allow me to ask, why'd you want to meet with _me,_ Ms. Vixey?" he inquired, narrowing his eyes at her.

The vixen laughed yet another time.

"Are you kidding me? You're _famous!_ And please, call me by my first name. Just Scarlet, okay?"

She then reached for a tiny purse which lay on the desk by her side. Opening it, she took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

"May I call you Nicholas?" she asked the still confused police officer.

"Nick's fine," he answered her.

"Well then, _Nick_. Do you smoke?"

The fox thought for a while. Technically, he quit smoking when he entered the Police Academy. But then he noticed that his paws were shaking.

"Yeah, I do," he said to the female, taking the pack and the lighter from her.

First, he passed her the light. Then, taking a cigarette for himself, he lit it and put the lighter and the pack back on the desk.

Inhaling deeply, he felt as the tension in his head eased a bit.

The vixen which sat before him continued to eye him from head to toe, smiling as she blew circles of smoke his way. Letting his own cigarette hang from his lip, Nick crossed his arms. He was aware of this being some kind of a trap, and that he better not let his hormones get the best of him... even though they were trying to do that badly.

"So…" he adressed her. "What is it you want, _Scarlet_? Out with it, already. I'm a fox, too. I know perfectly well that your brother-in-law didn't just make me come all the way over here so that you could stare at a famous cop!"

The female smirked with delight.

"No," she answered, leaving her cigarette in an ashtray which stood on Fangley's desk. "Frankly, I didn't ask for anything more myself… but Oscar insisted."

She then stood up, walked over to stand face to face with Nick, and waved her tail in a way that it touched his leg. Seemingly by accident.

The male fox felt the temperature rising within the room… but he didn't let it show. Or, at least, he _hoped_ he didn't let it show.

"I've got a question for you," the vixen confessed, stabbing Nick in the chest with her claw delicately. "Knowing that you indeed are a tough ZPD officer, I'm afraid I won't be able to get the answer out of you… But it's always worth a try, isn't it?"

"Hit me with your best shot, sweetheart," he answered her with a smirk. Only after saying those words he realized that they were a bit more friendly than he intended them to be, however…

The female smiled back at him.

"Oscar wants to know who led you to us," she then announced. "He doubts that you were able to find his little den with just that one flyer you said you had. He thinks we have a snitch in our ranks… I'm sure you understand how _dangerous_ that is to us."

Snorting in amusement, Nick took another blow from his smoke.

"I do," he said after exhaling. "And I don't care."

Scarlet's demeanor immediately changed to that of fake disappointment.

" _Uh_ , I thought so…" sighed the vixen. "And you're not saying anything, are you?"

Their dialogue turned into a duel of coquetry. Scarlet attempted to tickle Nick's nose with the tip of her tail, but he leaned back, preventing her from doing that.

"I'll be as silent as a grave," he said, grinning with the cigarette in his teeth.

"Good!" the female then exclaimed, a fresh smile appearing on her face. She afterwards returned to the desk, and took her own smoke from the ash tray. "I like your steadfastness. You're a real cop, unlike some of them."

"Thanks…" Nick took that as a compliment. "Say, Scarlet. You wouldn't have a phone I could use on you by any chance, would you?"

The question made her chuckle.

" _Haha_! Clever, very clever… Please don't try anything funny. Butcher's goons might harm you, and I would _really_ hate that to happen…"

"Well, using a cellphone never harmed anyone, did it? It's not like we're at a gas station or something."

Laughing out loud a second time, Scarlet stood up again. The two foxes' eyes met, and they both shared a cunning smile.

"I really like you, Nick," she announced, blowing smoke in his face playfully. "Do you like me? At least a little bit? If you do, please don't call the cops while I'm here. If you do, they'll put me in jail… And that would make me very, _very_ sad."

She then walked back to the desk, and put out her cigarette.

"I suppose I can promise that…" the cop mumbled back.

Demonstrating a satisfied smirk, the vixen then sat down in the chair behind the desk, and took one of her brother-in-law's business cards. Grabbing a pen, she started writing something on the back of it. She afterwards stood up again, walked over to face Nick, and put the piece of paper inside the pocket of his shirt.

"Don't let _anyone_ find this, okay?" she whispered. "Call me some day, when all of this is over. Whether you do become a carnivore, or not. I don't care."

She then took the cigarette out of his mouth, returned to the chair, and placed the butt in the ashtray.

"Now… _get out of here_! Go ahead, scram before I get angry with you for refusing to reveal your secret to me! You… _cop!_ "

Her outburst was insincere, and the performance was pretty badly staged. But Nick had a feeling that it was intentionally so.

"Yeah, whatever. Thanks for the smoke," he said as his goodbye.

Bowing his head slightly, he turned his back on Scarlet and exited the room. Woodsworth and Manendes were already waiting for him, standing in front of Brenda's desk.

As they escorted his back to the warehouse, he couldn't stop thinking about what this whole situation was all about.

 _This wasn't that bad! That slippery vixen, though…_ he laughed internally. _She thought she could seduce me that easily. Nuh-uh, not this sly fox. She was just one of Fangley's tricks, nothing more._

Walking down the gallery in the machine hall, he remembered the business card in his pocket. He wanted to throw it away at first, but he had no chance of doing that with his guards observing him closely.

 _Hm. I'd prefer if she gave me a cake with a metal file in it,_ he thought.

When they entered the room where the cage stood, Judy cried out to Nick in a broken voice. She looked as if she'd been crying. He could only imagine what she was thinking during this whole time, left alone in the dark…

" _Carrots!_ " he ran up to her after Manendes removed the padlock and opened the cage for him. "Don't worry, I'm back."

"What did they do to you?!" the rabbit asked examining him desperately.

To her surprise, Nick just laughed.

"Ah, don't worry about it. They're just trying to break my spirit, that's all…"

"What do you mean _break your spirit_? Were you being _tortured_?" Judy still couldn't believe that her partner came back to her unharmed.

Suddenly, they heard laughter coming from the other side of the bars.

" _Hahaha!_ " chortled Woodsworth, on his way out of the warehouse together with Burns the tiger. "Did you hear that?! She still thinks we're some kind of monsters!"

"Well, after all, what can you expect from a little bunny like her?" responded the other feline as both of them vanished in the darkness.

"No Judy," Nick then reassured his partner. "They just wanted me to reveal to them who told us about this place. But I didn't say a thing."

Left together with Manendes, both prisoners observed as the lion locked their cage again, making sure to reinforce the padlock with a few yards of extra thick chain.

Then the rabbit turned toward her friend again. Narrowing her eyes, she sniffed the air around her. Afterwards, she moved her head closer to the fox, and smelled his shirt.

"Nick… have you been smoking?" she asked in astonishment.

* * *

 **AN: The character of Scarlet Vixey, Oscar Fangley's wife's younger sister, is inspired by a few animated vixens from cinema. The first one is, obviously, Maid Marian from Disney's 1973 version of _Robin Hood_ (Nick was inspired by Robin Hood himself). The second one is Vixey from _The Fox and the Hound_. The third is Lt. Vixen from _Squirrel and Hedgehog_ , a North Korean propaganda cartoon.**

 **It's funny how a female fox, of all animals, became a sex symbol in human society. Trust me, you do _not_ want to look up pictures of _any_ of the aforementioned vixens on DeviantArt...**

 **Anyways, our question is- did Nick fall for Scarlet's spell, or not? ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: The lucky 13? ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Manendes, as frightful a guard as he was, was still a big feline. And, fortunately for Nick and Judy, big felines needed lots of sleep.

As soon as they heard the lion snore, a few hours after the fox's return, the two prisoners sat on the same blanket and fell asleep side by side.

Nick's dreams were troublous and uneasy. Although he could not remember what he dreamt about, he woke up in the middle of the night. Their guard was in his chair, snoring. Judy was fast asleep right behind his back.

The sensation he felt was even more disturbing than his dreams, however. For some reason, it was intensified by the fact that he was so close to his partner that he could smell the rabbit's fur…

And the scent was making his stomach rumble.

Standing up with an anxious groan, he moved away from her. Still, he couldn't stop smelling her scent. He knew it was the meat Fangley had tried to feed his son with that caused him to feel like this.

Suddenly, he became extremely hot. His throat was completely parched, but they had no water left in the cage. He began breathing out loud, fearing that he would choke… After a few more minutes, the suffocating sensation turned unbearable.

In a fit of despair, Nick untied his tie and threw it to the floor. That hardly even helped. He was then forced to tear his shirt off, and he did it so fast that the ripped buttons fell to the floor.

But that was still not enough…

It felt like his heart was pumping battery acid all over his body. He couldn't stop thinking about meat, and the feeling put so much pressure on his cheest that he began to cough, as if he were out of oxygen.

Finally, he threw himself on the ground and took off his pants. Standing by the bars completely naked, he gazed toward the tiny warehouse window longingly. If only he could open it… If only he could escape and breathe the air outside, free of all the scents!

And then, he heard a voice.

"Nick… what are you doing?" asked Judy drowsily.

In spite of feeling terribly hot, a shiver ran down his spine.

"Oh _sugar honey ice tea..._!" he cursed under his breath.

Turning toward the rabbit with a yelp, he observed as his partner strained her eyes, trying to make out what was going on in the dark.

Not knowing what else to do, in a panic-stricken impulse, he sat down on his rump, supporting himself with his front paws. Just like a wild animal.

Then Judy noticed that he wasn't wearing anything.

" _N-NICK!_ " she gasped. "Where are your pants?!"

Totally embarrassed, the fox looked at his clothes, which were lying on the floor. But when the astonished rabbit attempted to pick them up and give them back to him, he objected.

" _No!_ I-I'm not feeling well… Stay away, Carrots!"

Now genuinely concerned, Judy crouched in order to look him in the eyes.

"What's the matter with you? You look like an exhibit from the Natural History Museum!"

She suddenly touched his forehead with her paw, what made him flinch.

" _Argh!_ " he groaned, moving back as far as he could. " _Get away!_ "

"Nick, you're feverish!" the rabbit noticed with shock. "What's the matter? Tell me, please!"

"No, I… _ughhh!_ " he groaned again, lowering his head, unable to catch his breath.

Judy gave him a few seconds to calm down.

"It's okay," she said softly. "Don't worry, keep breathing… That's right..."

Overwhelmed by anxiety and pain to an extent that made his body shiver, looking into the rabbit's purple eyes which were full of genuine care, he found that he had nothing else left to do but to tell her the truth. No matter what the consequences would be.

"Carrots…" he began, frowning. After hesitating for another second or two, he then went on. "Something's wrong with me. I don't know what, but being in this place… it's changed me. I'm… I'm feeling things I've never felt before in my life…"

"What's that, Nick?" the rabbit asked him with a note of sorrow in her voice. "It's alright, you can tell me anything."

 _Are you really sure about that, Judy?_ he asked in his mind, doubtfully.

His bare chest started moving up and down because of how heavily he was breathing.

"I…" stammered the fox, tears shining in his blood-shot eyes. "I'm feeling _hunger_ , Carrots. But not like a normal hunger I can satisfy with regular food. I used to feel that way sometimes, very rarely, whenever I caught the scent of prey's blood… L-like with that flyer, you know. But it was never, _ever_ as strong as it is now! I can't stop thinking about it. I… I'm afraid I won't be able to take it much longer…."

Then the naked animal looked straight into the rabbit's eyes.

"Judy… You've gotta stay away from me. For your own good, _stay away_!"

Although he could clearly sense that his confession made her feel terribly sad, perhaps even afraid, his partner did not move back, however. On the contrary. After a while, she stretched out her paw, and attempted to place it on Nick's shoulder.

" _W-what are you doing?!_ " yelped the fox, flinching. "Stay back, _please!_ "

Slowly, however, he let himself be touched. They remained like that for a moment, during which Judy did not cease to gaze into his eyes. Eventually, she whispered:

"Nick, it's me. I'm not afraid of you. You can take it. I believe in you. You're stronger than this, I'm sure about that. You're stronger than your primitive instincts."

Turning his head and almost sobbing, the fox answered:

"I… I don't know…"

"But _I_ do. I know you, and I know you're not one of _them_."

He didn't say anything anymore.

After a few more minutes, his pulse slowed down a bit. He was finally able to breathe freely again.

"It's going away…" he huffed in relief, realizing that he was getting used to Judy's scent and it didn't have such a strong effect on him anymore.

The rabbit smiled.

"See? I told you. You're not savage! You're not even half as _wild_ as your last name might indicate!"

Even though he still felt pretty miserable, the fox chuckled.

" _Heh_ , yeah. I guess I'm not. Thanks a lot, Carrots... they almost had me fooled there…"

Leaning forward, slowly and carefully, he surrounded his partner with a paw and put his head on her shoulder. Judy also hugged him tightly. He was really feeling lucky for having her by his side. If it weren't for that, things might have turned nasty.

They shared their friendly embrace for a longer moment. And then, things _did_ turn nasty, after all.

They were first startled by the sound of doors opening. Someone barged into the warehouse, and a few seconds later, they heard a scream in the dark.

"MANENDES! Wake up, you useless, lazy feline!"

The voice was that of Oscar Fangley. As soon as Nick and Judy recognized it, they knew they were in trouble… even more than their lion guard, who immediately sprang up from his chair, totally shocked by his boss' arrival.

The furious fox entered the light and stood in front of the cage. He looked like he'd been working overtime for the past few hours. He wasn't wearing a jacket, his shirt was undone… and he was breathing out flames from his nostrils.

" _What… are you… DOING?!_ " he roared at them, his voice echoing from within the walls of the warehouse.

The prisoners realized that he must have been observing them through the surveillance cameras... and could only imagine how awkward that must have looked. They quickly jumped away from one another, thoroughly embarrassed.

"W-what do you mean?" Nick asked him, attempting to sound outraged. "We weren't _doing_ anything…"

"Nicholas, you're _naked!_ " Fangley pointed out the obvious. "You've just met my sister-in-law, and still, you prefer this... _rabbit_?!"

"Now hold on a minute! This _rabbit_ isn't naked!" Judy reminded him, lifting her paws up in a gesture of innocence. "A-and I _never_ intended to…"

It seemed like those words triggered the fox even more, however. With a loud groan, he fell down on all fours, not caring for the fact that he was now wiping the dirt from the floor with his cornflower blue silk tie.

"Listen to me, you two," he began growling under his breath, but his silent voice was filled with so much anger that he was hardly able to contain it. As his rant went on, he got louder and louder. "Not earlier than last night, you had the _audacity_ to call me and my family _deviants_. But if the idea of predators eating meat seems twisted to you, then how do you call… _this?!_ This… _perversion_ of yours! You two are not of the same family of animals! You don't even belong to the same _order_ of creatures, you sick, disgusting monsters! Do you even realize that you are _BIOLOGICALLY INCAPABLE_ of ever producing offspring together?!"

After such an outburst, Nick, Judy, and even Manendes the lion stood speechless for a few moments, their mouths agape.

Then the fox cop lifted up a finger.

"I'm gonna put my pants back on now…"

After he did just that, he addressed the still-furious Fangley more seriously.

"Listen, Oscar. I know how this must look to you, but I assure you, Judy and I are just friends…"

" _Just friends?!_ " Butcher cut him off with a fit of frantic laughter. It took him some time to calm down, during which Nick was gazing at him, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I-I find you in the arms of a female rabbit, naked, at midnight, a-and you expect me to believe that you're _just friends_? _Hahaha…_ "

The two prisoners shared a disconcerted look.

Finally, Nick couldn't take this nonsense anymore. Baring his fangs and clenching his fists, he yelled straight at Fangley.

"Ah SHUT UP, you idiot!"

That seemed to have sobered the businessman a little. Seeing that, the cop continued.

"Who do you take us for?! Do you think about what you're saying? Are you even using that red head of yours?! I didn't take my clothes off for fun! I took them off because I was _suffocating_! I was feeling sick because of… 'cause of…"

Suddenly, he found himself at a dead end. His confident outburst suddenly came to a rapid halt.

Looking extremely interested, Fangley narrowed his eyes. Then he stood up, a delicate smirk appearing on his face.

"Because of _what_ , Mr. Wilde? Please, do tell. I'm all ears."

Nick looked at Judy anxiously, biting his lip. There wasn't much more he could do but confess yet a second time.

"I'm feeling… a hunger… for meat," he stuttered.

Hearing that, Butcher snorted right in his face.

" _Puh._ I see. And you think that's sick, _hm_? You suppose that hugging your furry friend will somehow cure you of this strange new _malady_ , am I right?"

For some reason, the fox now looked genuinely amused, what contrasted greatly with how he acted just a minute ago.

" _Ha!_ " he chuckled. "Well, allow me to correct you, Mr. Wilde. Your state has nothing to do with sickness. It's a normal reaction. Quite natural, actually."

Nick did not like the smile on Fangley's face. He did not like it _a lot_.

"A reaction… to what?" he inquired, though he doubted that he wanted to know the answer…

He was right.

The wicked fox crossed his paws on his chest and lifted his head up haughtily.

"Why, you're just feeling a desire to feed on something you've only had a taste of," he announced. "Until you get what your body is demanding, the hunger you're feeling won't let you sleep at night."

"What does that mean?" Judy asked, both confused and horrified.

Fangley bent over in order to speak face to face with her.

"It means, my little fluff-doll, that for the past couple of days we've been cooking your friend's seemingly vegetarian food... using genuine animal fat."

The rabbit gasped and covered her mouth with her paws after she heard those words… whereas her partner himself almost fainted.

"N-no…" he mumbled, grabbing his stomach, basically ready to lose his lunch. "This is just another one of your tricks…!"

"It's not," Butcher stated casually. "Haven't you noticed? Don't worry about it! After all, you _were_ starving."

"I-I…" Nick himself couldn't quite understand why he _didn't_ smell the fat in his food. "I couldn't feel the scent… This whole darn place… it _reeks_ of blood!"

"How can you be so _cruel_!" Judy shrieked at Fangley, reduced to tears by seeing her friend overwhelmed by suffering.

But the leader of Butcher's Den only laughed. Turning away, he approached Manendes, and put his paw on the lion's shoulder.

"Make sure not to fall asleep again," he said, still unable to stop smiling. He then walked out of the warehouse.

Judy had never seen another animal's eyes filled with this much shock as when she looked at her partner that time. With tears running down her face, she took a step toward him… Nick motioned, ordering her to stop.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" he uttered, grasping the bars of their cage.

* * *

 **AN: So yeah, you were right. It was the food…**

 **It's not that difficult for a human to become 'addicted' to meat, actually. I'm sure that many Americans know what I'm talking about. I once knew a Muslim who converted to Catholicism. Before that, he wouldn't even touch bacon. But when he did try it for the first time, he couldn't get enough of it!**

 **Now imagine how hard would going 'cold turkey' be to a _natural predator_ who's tasted flesh, or fat, even once in his life. **

**The 13 was not a lucky one. This time, it's one point for carnivores.**

* * *

 **As you can see, this story is my personal middle finger to two groups of people: vegetarians, and furries...**

 _ **... just kidding!**_ **XD Please, don't stop reading if you are either of these things! Of course, this story is** _ **Oscar Fangley's**_ **personal middle finger to vegetarians… as well as the supporters of inter-species unions.**

 **Seriously tho, guys. Gross. _No_ , I do _not_ believe that Nick and Judy are, or should ever become, a couple. Zootopia isn't Shrek where a donkey can have kids with a dragon (or at least I pray it will never be that way).**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Judy was becoming seriously concerned with Nick's behavior…

He wouldn't let her near him anymore. When she called, he wouldn't answer, and it seemed like all of her efforts to help him overcome his condition were for nothing. But, then again, she could only imagine how bad he was truly feeling inside.

When she was finally able to fall asleep, she was quickly woken up by a low growl. In the dark, she saw her partner tossing and turning on his blanket. Eventually, he stood up on all fours and emitted a beastly, painful yelp, so gruesome and so loud that even their lion guard covered his ears.

Nick continued to howl like that throughout the night. The mixed feelings of nausea, exhaustion, and an intensive pain in both his head and stomach almost drove him mad. He even noticed that he began losing hair from his already miserable fur.

The fox also refused to eat or drink anything from then on. Judy attempted to give some of her vegetables to him, but he just snarled at her anytime she tried doing that.

With the breaking of day, Manendes was replaced by Clawford the bear. Then, Clawford was replaced by Larry and Barry. The dogs first placed two food trays in front of the cage, as usual. But Nick quickly ran up to it and, sticking his paw through the bars, knocked the tray over, throwing the food to the floor.

"I don't want your _damn_ bugburgers anymore…" he hissed.

What he said afterward, almost broke Judy's heart.

Lifting up his blood-shot eyes at the two Doberman Pinschers, and yelled:

"Give me _meat_! You hear?! I want _real meat_!"

It looked as if he'd finally lost his balance due to hunger and overall exhaustion... But the guards only laughed in his face.

" _Ha!_ " sneered one of them, pointing toward the terrified rabbit curled up in the corner of the cage. "You've got your meat right there, idiot!"

"Yeah!" added his brother. "It's always been there, ready for the takin'!"

Groaning in fury, the fox returned to his spot, not even looking toward his partner.

When night came again, Judy noticed that Nick attempted to occupy himself with unwinding the wire on his side of the cage. That made her feel better, although she realized that he would still have to start eating again at some point…

Seeing that their guards were standing away by the wall, smoking, the female officer pricked up her long rabbit ears in order to listen to their whispered conversation.

"So whaddya think is gonna happen now?" said one of the brothers.

"I dunno…" answered the other. "You know my bet is that he's just gonna starve. There ain't no way he'll eat that bunny… he's too helpessly attached."

"You really think they're, you know… _in love_?"

" _Nah_ , get outa here! That's just a stupid rumor. I mean, a rabbit and a fox…? Dude, that's just _wrong_!"

"Yeah. That's what Butcher's thinkin'."

"But Butcher also thinks that he can get the fox to come to our side, somehow."

"Ain't that kind of a contradiction?"

"Well, you know what they say. Word around the factory is, he's tryin' to hook 'em up with his sister-in-law…"

Suddenly, the warehouse was filled with the sound of a loud groan of exasperation.

"The heck…?" gasped one of the dogs.

Fortunately, none of the guards were able to see what happened. But Judy did. The piece of the metal wire which Nick had been unwinding for days in hope of being able to open their cage eventually, suddenly broke off and remained in the fox's paw. That made him become _very_ angry.

"Hey! Quiet over there!" the guards yelled at him. But Nick, instead of listening, threw himself on the bars, grasping the metal and growling horribly.

"I need meat!" he whined repeatedly, unfazed by the way that angered the dogs and terrified Judy. " _I need meat!_ I NEED MEAT! _I NEED MEEEAAAT! ARGHHH!_ "

Finally, one of the dogs grabbed the hose from the wall and doused the crazed animal with water. Only then did Nick settle down. With his partner watching in horror, he sat on his blanket, completely out of breath, drops streaming down the fur on his emaciated bare torso.

But, before he was even dry, he stood up again and began to howl. He did so with an indescribable rage, and every muscle in his face became flexed, twisting his appearance. Judy only saw him behave that way once- at the Natural History Museum, when he was pretending to have been infected with the night howler serum. Only this time, it wasn't an act.

She remembered what her grandfather had once told her. _Foxes are red because they were made by the devil…_

She tried not to lose hope. She really did. But it became increasingly hard with her friend slowly slipping into savagery.

The next morning, Kane came to take Larry and Barry's place. Seeing the miserable state Nick was in, he chuckled.

" _Heh-heh_. Won't be long now, _huh?_ "

The jackal then pulled up a chair and put it right by the bars.

"I don't wanna miss the show when ya finally go wild, _Officer_ ," he stated, gazing at Judy maliciously.

He then sat down, crossed his legs, and took something out of his pouch.

"For your information, this time, it's _not_ a bugburger," explained the guard, revealing to both the prisoners that what he held in his paws was his breakfast.

Now Judy was the one who came close to throwing up… She managed to control her stomach, however, and instead focused on Nick's reaction.

The fox, much like a hungry wild beast, sat up straight and continued sniffing the air, observing Kane's every motion. He had his eyes fixed at the two pieces of bread with a thick slab of meat between them. His ears were pricked up, and he was whipping the ground with his tail, as if in anticipation.

The jackal became preoccupied with his meal. So much so that he failed to notice when Nick lay back down on the ground, his brush forming a circle around his body. It was as if he wanted to go to sleep.

But what Judy saw was that Nick actually continued to stare at the other canid. Suddenly, in a motion as swift as a flash, he threw something out of the cage in a way that Kane didn't even notice him move. A metallic sound could be heard from far away.

The rabbit realized that her partner used the broken off piece of wire in order to distract their guard. To her great joy, it worked.

Startled by the sudden clamor, Kane stood up, leaving his burger on the chair, and went over to investigate. Judy was preparing to see Nick using the opportunity to open their cage somehow, in a way known only to him. This would have meant that his vicious behavior was all just another performance of the experienced scam artist.

How shocked she was when she observed that the fox did indeed use the opportunity to his own benefit… but only in order to steal Kane's breakfast.

" _Hey!_ What the…?" gasped the stupefied jackal as soon as he looked around. "HEY YOU! Give that back!"

But it was already too late. Driven by his ravenous hunger, Nick threw away the bread and tore the meat with his teeth, similarly to how Fangley did the same thing earlier, devouring it before Judy could as much as utter a single word. He then licked his lips, moaning with satisfaction.

"You _thief!_ " Kane yelled at him furiously. "That was _mine!_ You didn't do anythin' to earn your meat! Oh just you wait, you're gonna be sorry…"

He continued screaming like that for some time, but Judy didn't even hear his voice anymore. A dark, gruesome fear filled her heart to the brim… She realized that she'd just seen Nick consume the flesh of another animal for the first time in his life. She could hardly believe it, but she couldn't deny what she saw with her own two eyes.

The rabbit only snapped out of her shock after she heard the sound of clapping. It seemed that Butcher was observing the whole scene from his office, and now came down in order to congratulate the other member of his species. Preventing Kane from grabbing the hose again to execute his revenge, he glared at Nick with a delighted grin.

"Clever fox," Fangley addressed the savage animal with words of praise. "I knew you wouldn't fail me."

Having licked all of the meat juice from his snout, Nick stood up and walked over to the bars to face him.

"There," he panted. "I'm a carnivore, just like you. Now, let me out of this damn cage!"

Fangley did not make a single step, however. Instead, he just burst out laughing.

" _Hahaha!_ Oh no, Mr. Wilde. Even though I'd love to, I can't let you do that just yet. Remember our deal? You'll be free to join only after you've disposed of your partner…"

After he heard those words, his ears dropped, his paws started to shake, and an expression of indescribable sorrow and disappointment appeared on Nick's face.

"You... _you can't do this_!" his voice was now nothing more than a weak yelp. "I-it's against your rules! Not all carnivores have to hunt… You said you tolerate carrion eaters!"

Sighing and waving his head, the one called the Butcher gazed at the devastated predator as if he were nothing more than a kit.

"Nicholas… Haven't you learned yet that, over here, _I_ am the one who sets up the rules?"

Leaving the fox screaming and begging for release behind his back, Oscar Fangley exited the warehouse yet again. After Nick heard the door slamming, he turned toward Judy only for a second…

The howl he then produced was a sign of the remorse which ripped through his conscience. Grabbing the metal bars, he began banging his head against them in utter resignation. He'd given in to his instincts... for nothing. His stomach was full, but his heart felt hollow.

The terror he saw in his partner's eyes made tears stream down his cheeks.

* * *

 **AN: One of the reasons most people don't know 'what the fox says' may be that the red furred canid's natural sound, unlike a cow's mooing or a cat's meow, is actually very unpleasant to the ear. It resembles a high-pitched, maniacal laugh, only that there's usually nothing amusing about it.**

 **And thus, Nick Wilde becomes a carnivore. I** _ **did**_ **warn you that this story would be a dark one.**

 **Funny how, in the original, much darker script of the movie, it's Nick who was supposed to be the one who started a place where predators could take off their 'tame collars' and indulge in their more 'savage' behavior...**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Can you guys take one more before Christmas? I know some of you decided to bail out. What, you scandalized with a little gore? Do you want to abandon Nick and Judy at their most difficult moment?  
**

 **Sadly, our duo of cops can't do the same. They're stuck with me... I mean, _Fangley,_ having almost complete control over them.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Nick howled all through the rest of the day in rage, making both Kane and Judy unable to think.

Finally, when evening came again and a new guard, this time Burns, stumbled along bringing them their dinner, the fox crawled over to the bars. He had no more tears in his eyes, and looked as if he'd overcome his despair. His partner hoped that, perhaps, he would would start eating again, but instead of doing that, he summoned the tiger.

"Call for Fangley," Nick demanded. His voice was so weak, however, that the guard had to bend over in order to ask him to repeat.

"CALL YOUR MASTER!" he then yelled with unexpected strength. "CALL FANGLEY! I WANT TO SEE HIM, NOW!"

Startled, the feline went to get his phone. After dialing the number, he said:

" _Uhm_ , sir? Yeah, this is Burns. No problem, no. It's Mr. Wilde. Yeah. Uh, he wants to see you, sir. No, he says he wants you to come down. Okay. Okay, I'll tell 'em."

"He'll be over in ten minutes," the guard announced after hanging up.

He was there in five. That was enough time for Judy to start thinking about what would happen, but not enough to figure it out.

To be honest, she wouldn't have thought about that even if she waited for a thousand years…

Standing in front of the cage wearing his fancy suit, Fangley crossed his arms on his chest in impatient anticipation.

"Well?" he asked. "I'm a busy animal, Mr. Wilde. Out with it. I'm waiting!"

Standing confidently, with a voice filled with undeniable demand, Nick expressed his wish to the leader of _Butcher's Den_.

"I want you to organize a hunt for me," he uttered.

Judy almost fell over when she heard that… She was probably more shocked than Nick when he found out he'd been eating food deep-fried in animal fat for days.

" _Nick…_ " she cried out, her cheeks already wet with tears. "Don't do this. Please…"

Her onetime partner didn't even turn to look at her, however. He just continued to stare into the other fox's eyes. And those exhibited a feeling of growing admiration.

"Could you please explain what you mean by that?" Fangley inquired.

"It means that _you won_ , alright?" Nick answered him in irritation. "I'm in. I'm one of you. But I don't wanna just be a second-class member. What good is it if I just kill her right here in this cage? She doesn't even have anywhere to run. You said you organize hunts, so I want to do something like that. Just like those lions you showed us in the video."

For a second, Butcher just stood there pondering, not paying attention to Judy's increasingly loud sobbing. And then he smiled delicately.

"I suppose arrangements can be made…"

Turning toward the guard, he pointed at the padlock.

"Unlock the cage, would you, Burns?"

The tiger took out a large key, and did exactly what his boss told him. He then removed the chain, and opened the walls of the cage to make an exit. Then, just like that, Nick was free again. Leaving his prison a second time, wishing it would be the last, he exhaled heavily and also exhibited a faint smile.

"Thanks," the fox said to the other member of his species.

Judy's eyes were as wide as saucers when she observed as Oscar Fangley put his paw on her partner's shoulder… She wanted to run up to him, but Burns stood in her way.

"You're coming with _me_ , bunny," announced the guard. "Don't fight now, I don't wanna damage Mr. Wilde's hunting trophy."

She simply had no more mental strength in her to resist... but she did continued to yell.

" _Nick! NIIICK!_ " the heartbroken rabbit cried until the doors to the warehouse shut behind the two foxes' backs.

* * *

Fangley led Nick up to his office. Opening the door for him, he suggested he sit.

" _Nah_ , I'm fine standing," he declined.

"Suit yourself," Butcher continued. "I ordered the workers to take a break. They should be out of the factory in about thirty minutes. I'll have the main storage warehouse ready for you then."

"The same one that the lions used?"

"Yes, that is correct. It's easier to wash the blood off the floor there."

Nick was satisfied with that.

The other fox then took off his jacket, revealing that he carried a concealed gun underneath it. Sitting down in his chair and opening his briefcase, he took out some sandwiches and offered one to the police officer.

"Hungry?" he inquired. " _Huh_ , why am I even asking. You've hardly had anything for days now, except for that tiny morsel last night!"

"What is it?" Nick sniffed the air around him. "Some type of game?"

"Yes, it's venison," Fangley smiled, lifting his eyebrows in admiration. "You've got a terrific nose! I'm sure you'll be a great hunter. Who knows, maybe we could even hunt together one day?"

He continued stretching out his arm with the sandwich toward Nick, but he raised his paw in a gesture of denial.

"No, thank you. I don't wanna spoil my appetite before a bigger meal."

" _Hm_. I guess that's a good idea…" the factory manager said as he began eating himself.

In order to kill the time, Nick walked over to the desk and picked up a framed picture that stood on top of it. It was a fairly normal photograph of Oscar, his mate, and their son. All three of them were smiling.

"Sorry I came into your office without my shirt on," he then said after noticing how his appearance contrasted with the fancy outfit of the businessman. "I should have taken it with me from the basement."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Fangley laughed with his mouth full. "Did you forget what kind of club you're a part of now?"

Nick then put his shaking paws in his pockets.

"Riiight, _integral naturalism_. I remember. Say, you wouldn't happen to have a cigarette, would you?" he asked.

The other fox chuckled, reached into his briefcase again, and handed him a pack of Mareboro Strongs and a zippo lighter.

"Julia doesn't let me smoke in front of the kit," Fangley confessed as Nick was lighting his cigarette. "But I understand how nervous you must be."

"Oh yeah?" the police officer inquired curiously after exhaling a large cloud of smoke. "What was your own first hunt like, then?"

Finishing his sandwich, the other carnivore licked each of his sharp claws. Then, sitting more comfortably, he smiled as if recalling a pleasant moment in his life.

" _Huh_ , it was hardly a hunt, really… One night I was driving home from a business meeting in another county. It was about to start raining, and then I noticed a hitchhiker on the side of the road. It was a young ram. So I stopped the car, opened the passenger door, and invited the prey to ride with me. He said he fell asleep and missed his bus. He'd just donated wool at the local spinning mill, so he's all sheared and covered in band aids. So we're on our way, and he just keeps talking and talking… It was right after the whole night howler crisis, and obviously, he was kind of freaked out at first when he saw that I was a predator. But then he started blaming himself for being prejudiced and paying attention to some media babble! Can you believe it? He said I was such a nice guy for picking him up… Eventually, he started to annoy me. All this time, I could smell the blood that came from his minor cuts. So then I just stop the car. We're by this forest, and there's no one else around. I bare my fangs, he starts to scream. Until the very end, he thought I just wanted to rob him! As he ran through the forest in the rain, he kept begging me not to shoot. I didn't… When I finally caught him, he was completely shocked as I bit into his windpipe. See, you've got to remember to bite your prey from the front of the neck, not the back, or else it won't suffocate. I enjoyed that meal more than anything else in the world…"

"Yeah. I'm sure I will, too," Nick smiled, and took another blow from his Mareboro Strong.

"Oh, you will!" Fangley answered with a grin as well. "Of course, you won't have to deal with getting rid of the carcass of a ram, like I did."

Both of them chuckled. The police officer then extinguished his smoke in the same ashtray he used last time.

"By the way," he remembered something. "About that Scarlet…"

"My sister-in-law?" Fangley inquired, rubbing his chin. "Oh yes, I almost forgot to speak to you about her! She was always too exhausting for me. That's why I married her sister. I mean, by _exhausting_ , I'm saying that in the good sense of the word. She loves partying, shopping, going on exotic trips. You know. What did you think of her?"

Nick demonstrated a mysterious smirk…

"I think I'd like to get to know her _exhausting_ temperament a little better someday," he stated.

Hearing that, Fangley raised a brow. Folding his paws, he said:

"Now _that's_ something I enjoy hearing from you. Is a certain former outlaw perhaps about to become my future in-law?"

"I guess anything's possible…" the officer laughed out loud.

"She'll be thrilled to hear that you decided to join our cause."

"That's what I'm counting on."

Suddenly, the tune of _Eye of the Tiger_ resounded within the office. Oscar pulled his phone out of his pocket, and answered it.

"Yes, Robert?" he said. "Fine. Yes, we're in my office. Make sure to bring everything. We'll see you on the gallery, then. I am too, _huh-huh_. Bye."

Then Butcher looked toward the restless Nick.

"Ten more minutes, my friend. Before we go, why don't we discuss technique? After all, this is your first time. Not to brag or anything, but I'm probably the best expert in foxes' hunting tactics you will find."

" _Hm_ , I guess that's true," the cop estimated. "So, have you got any pointers for me?"

Fangley tapped the surface of the desk with his claws.

"Well, let me think. First, don't rely on your sense of sight as much. Use the other five of them, instead. You know what I'm talking about?"

A bit confused, Nick scratched his head.

" _Uhm_ … Isn't that _four_ senses without sight?"

The long-time hunter chuckled at his inexperience.

"Not with us foxes, it isn't!" he explained. "See, mother nature has given us a sort of a _sixth_ sense. For example, if someone's on the other side of the door, if you focus really hard, you can kind of _feel_ where that person is exactly. Haven't you ever noticed?"

Nick pondered, genuinely intrigued.

"Huh. I guess that's right."

"Exactly! It's echolocation, like with bats. Our ancestors would use it to find prey when it hid under the snow. I don't see a reason why you couldn't use it now. I'll have the lights in the warehouse turned down for you so you can practice."

"Thanks!" Nick smiled at him, thrilled by this newfound knowledge. "Anything else?"

Standing up from his chair, Fangley bared his teeth in a grin. Approaching, he put his paw on the other fox's shoulder.

"Just this. Don't worry. Don't hesitate. And have _fun!_ "

Escorting him out of his office, Butcher then took Nick to the gallery which overlooked a large warehouse. By the stairs leading down, there stood Woodsworth.

"Well well, I am impressed!" the bobcat said, addressing the new member of his club. "It's truly delightful to see you on our side of the barricade, Mr. Wilde. You should have done this days ago. You'd have saved all of us a lot of trouble."

"I-it wasn't that easy," Nick stated rather nervously. "Especially for a cop."

" _Hmf!_ " Woodsworth snorted. "Law is meant to defend freedom, not hinder it."

"Enough politics, Robert," his boss then interrupted him. "Is everything ready?"

"As well as it can be, yes," answered the feline, folding his arms behind his back. "The question is, is _Mr. Wilde_ ready?"

Both the predators gazed at the fox… Nick felt his heart hammering inside his chest.

"Is… _she_ … downstairs already?" he asked, trying to prevent his voice from shaking.

"You mean, your prey?" asked Fangley. "It'll be there when you're down, don't worry. We can't just point you to it! That wouldn't be much of a hunt, would it?"

"Okay…" said the rookie hunter, and took a deep breath. "In that case, I'm ready."

However, before he went on his way, Woodsworth cleared his throat audibly.

"Hm, aren't you forgetting about something?"

"What's that?" Nick answered, disoriented.

The bobcat then pointed at his pants.

"You won't be needing these. They'll just be hindering your movements. And besides, you'll get them even more dirty than they are already…"

Estimating that the feline was right, forcing himself to overcome his shame, the fox took off the last piece of clothing he had on and hung it on the metal railing of the gallery.

Fangley and Woodsworth were looking him straight in the eyes.

"Happy hunting, Officer Wilde," said Butcher, and stretched out his paw.

"Thank you, sir," answered Nick, shaking it. Then he also shook the bobcat's paw.

"Go and complete that food chain," Woodsworth encouraged him.

After that, with another deep breath, the fox started making his way down the stairs. The adrenaline flowing through his blood was slowly putting him in a state of high.

When he was finally standing on the lino floor of the warehouse, he heard Fangley's voice calling him from behind his back.

"And remember, Nicholas- _two legs bad, four legs good_!"

Understanding the message, he got down on all fours. The lights within the warehouse were then switched off.

Lifting up his nose, he began to sniff.

* * *

 **AN: Dum** _ **dum DUM!  
**_

 ** ** **What? Too unlikely? Too brutal? Oh, c'mon, give Nick a break! He's starving! XD******

 **(Sings)** _ **Ok, now she was close. Tried to domesticate ya. But you're an animal. Nicky, it's in yer nature. Just let me liberate ya. No, you don't need no pants. That bunny's not yer mate. That's why I'm gonna have you HUNT HER! I know you want it. I know you want it...**_

 ** **(Clears throat) Hrm! Alright, enough of this.****

 ** **I'm gonna hit the pause button right there, ok? May you all have a very merry Christmas, and I'll s** ee you in the next chap after the Holidays, kids ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Judy was devastated. When Burns pulled her out of the cage for the first time in two weeks, she couldn't feel any sort of joy or consolation because of that fact. She just hung her head low and followed the tiger, who put a collar around her neck and led her upstairs on a leash.

Burns then shoved the female officer into some kind of an old boiler room and, ordering her to stay there, locked the door. At first, she didn't even have the desire or strength of will to look for a way out. When she finally did, she found herself to be completely trapped. Sitting down on top of some old bucket, she began to cry.

She had wanted to die, blaming herself for inspiring Oscar Fangley of starting this whole predator supremacist movement. But never like _this_. She wanted to sacrifice her life doing her job, attempting as much as she could to bring the slaughter practiced in this place to an end. Only that she thought that her partner would be there by her side. That when she had put the police badge on his chest, it really meant something…

Now she knew that she was wrong. Nick had finally given in. Judy still tried to justify his actions somehow, explaining to herself that she had no real way of understanding what Fangley put him through. But, even then, the piercing pain in her broken heart would not let itself be forgotten.

This was the end. She'd failed, and so did Nick. She thought of her family, she thought of all of Zootopia… All of that was at a great risk right now. The one thing that could change anything at this point, was a miracle.

That was what she did then- wiping her tears away, her eyes completely hollow and devoid of all emotion, she prayed for a miracle.

Judy wouldn't be able to state the exact amount of time it took for Burns to come get her again. When he ordered her to follow him, she obediently exited the room. She could resist- she wasn't starving, or injured, or anything like that. She just didn't want to waste her strength. The hunt was about to begin, and if the fox wanted a challenge, she would give him one. Even if it was the last thing she would do.

Her guard led her to a large metal door. Pressing a button, he opened it, revealing that what was on the other side of it was indeed a huge warehouse, filled with aisles of storage shelves loaded with pallets and crates of merchandise.

She flinched as Burns touched her neck to remove her collar. Turning around, she gazed up at the tiger, confused.

"Well? What're you waiting for?" he asked her angrily. "Go! You're free! Run, you stupid bunny! _Run!_ "

He then turned around, closing the door behind her back.

She was alone. Or, at least, it seemed that way. When a loud clicking sound echoed within the hall, and the lights went off, Judy pricked up her ears, unable to rely on her eyes as much in the semi-darkness. A shiver ran down her spine, and she began sniffing around, her nose twitching rapidly.

 _Oh God… I can't believe this is happening…_ she gasped internally.

But it _was_ happening. She was a prey animal, and right now, she was being hunted.

Taking each step slowly, she began to stray in between the aisles.

* * *

After hearing a door closing on the other side of the warehouse, Nick estimated that this was the first place he should explore during his hunt. Stealthily walking on his front and hind legs, trying to put each paw down as silently as he could, he didn't choose the most obvious route, however. Instead of going down the broad, open passages in between the shelves, he began making his way by squeezing through the crates and cardboard boxes which lay everywhere around.

His heart was beating like a drum, and the only sensation in his body which was stronger than the adrenaline rush he felt, was his hunger for meat.

Soon, he caught a scent, and his mouth started salivating. Trying to ease his unsteady breath, hiding behind a large crate, he closed his eyes. At first, he could sense nothing else besides his own pulse he felt in his temples…

But Fangley was right. Foxes did possess a special ability to locate prey using a kind of a sonar. With the help of his own instinct, Nick was soon able to sense movement on the other side of the aisle.

Using his claws, which had grown during the last two weeks of him not dulling them, he ascended the wood of the crate, trying not to make a sound. From that height, in the distance, he was able to see Judy. Her ears were standing up still, and she was slowly moving forward, taking careful steps.

The fox then prepared for his attack.

* * *

Judy's sense of smell was just as good as the hunter's, but her hearing was much better. As she paced in the darkness, shaking all over, she was able to pick up a very delicate sound.

 _What was that?_ she thought, terrified. Did she cause that noise herself, or was it something else? No, it couldn't have been her. It came from another direction, or at least she had an impression that it did…

Turning around rapidly, she observed the area behind her. There was nothing there but an empty hall, and two sets of four-level-high racks with pallets on top of them.

She strained her eyes in the dark. But when she was about to move on, and started to turn her head away…

In the corner of her eye, she noticed a greenish glow on top of one of the crates.

With a gasp of fear, she started running. Her own panting made it hard for her to recognize if her footsteps were the only ones she was hearing, or if there were others. It was only after a while that she decided to stop, but then she noticed that she'd ended up in a tight corner. This was no good place to be stuck, definitely... The rabbit then realized that this was also the exact spot where the lions in Fangley's video had caught and devoured the lamb which they were hunting.

Again, breathing heavily, Judy pricked up her rabbit ears. She was surrounded by silence. Seeing that as an opportunity, she crawled under a metal beam, hiding between two tall pallets loaded with cardboard boxes. She looked around for something to cover herself with, but found nothing.

Sniffing the air around her, she had a feeling she felt a familiar scent, but she wasn't completely sure. There was no wind in the warehouse, and the whole factory smelled of various chemicals, which made things even more difficult.

Then she flinched and almost screamed as a loud noise echoed within the halls… It came from the other side of the warehouse, and sounded as if a box had fallen to the floor.

She meditated whether she should look out of her hiding spot and investigate, or stay put. Eventually, she remained where she were.

Almost paralyzed with fear, turning her ears from one direction to the other, she thought of her ancestors- prey animals from ages ago who were, like her, forced to hide and run away from bloodthirsty predators. But if they were somehow able to survive, maybe she would, too? After all, even though evolved, she was also still in possession of her animal instinct.

Right now, that instinct ordered her to remain in hiding. She heard no sounds around her, which meant that she could hope that she was safe…

But then, suddenly, another box came crashing to the floor, right on the other side of her aisle.

That was it. Running out from between the pallets on the opposite side, she began to search for another burrow…

Only to realize that this was all part of her hunter's trap. She heard him before she saw him, and then she knew- he wasn't on the same level as her, but above. Having climbed the metal railing, he was throwing the boxes from the topmost pallets in order to confuse her.

Now, once he lured her out of her den, he jumped down from the rack and landed right behind her back, less than twenty yards away.

All she could see was the green shine in his eyes, and the shady appearance of a vicious wild animal ready to attack.

She barely had time to scream. Now, hearing the sound of his four paws hitting the floor behind her clearly, she began to run herself. He was gaining on her fast, however.

At first Judy attempted to change directions a few times, taking sharp turns, but it seemed as if the fox could predict where she would go… Then, panting in despair, she tried to knock over a stack of small boxes in his way. Not only did she almost lose her balance, but also her opponent simply jumped over the boxes, continuing his pursuit.

The situation got helpless. She couldn't climb, and she had nowhere to hide. She was almost about to give up… but then, suddenly, her instincts took over. Judy realized that the predator behind her was down on all fours, whereas she wasn't. Remembering the legendary speed which was associated with her species, she leaned forward, landing on her front paws, and began taking long leaps. Thus, as she hopped rather than ran, although it was uncomfortable for her to move that way in her clothes, the distance between her and Nick began to increase.

The warehouse was not that long, however, and soon she had to make another rapid turn. Then, a tragedy happened. Slipping on the smooth linoleum under her feet, she fell over, slid on the floor, and crashed into a tool shelf which stood in the corner.

The world around her twirled, turned, and went black. All she could hear now was the blood rushing through her veins… but she did also feel a scent. The scent of Nick- her one-time partner.

Lifting herself up from the floor, she cringed when she noticed the twisted appearance of the successful hunter. He was naked and vicious, his head low, ears standing stiff.

It was then that Judy wished she had the fox repellent her father had once given her… or, even better, a gun. When she gazed into the animal's sharp, bare fangs, her life flashed before her eyes, and her nose twitched like crazy.

* * *

Nick did his best. He knew he had to. After all, he sensed Fangley and Woodsworth observing his every move. This was his one and only chance.

As he ran after his prey, he tried to recall as much as he could from the times he saw this same warehouse during daytime. Balancing with his tail in order not to lose speed, he felt no fear anymore. His instinct took control over him almost completely. If foxes could sweat, his fur would have been completely soaked, but he had to remain sober. No mistake could be made that night.

When Judy slipped, he knew that this was his chance. He wouldn't let her go. He could smell her fear, and it made the adrenaline level in his blood rise even more.

He hoped she would not struggle too much, or else he'd have to immobilize her.

She didn't.

* * *

 **AN: I love hunting scenes. I think I put at least one in most of my stories.**

 **In case this is the first time you're reading the story- this is where the plot can go both ways. If you'd prefer a more happy ending, then keep reading. If not, however, than you can immediately skip to chapter 17 _beta_ \- the _alternative_ ending. **


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Wow o_O**

 **Thanks for all the feedback, people! XD As well as the _constructive_ criticism... All of that made me think a lot.**

 **I haven't answered to most reviews because (apart from the fact that many of them were from guests) I don't want to accidentally spoil any of the upcomming events for you. So, without further ado, here's the next chap. Make sure to let me know if I fulfilled your expectations ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

Butcher was observing the hunt together with his assistant, both predators wearing night-vision goggles. They were silently admiring the unusual stealth and hunting prowess exhibited by Nick, happy with themselves for having converted the fox cop to their side.

If a police officer could become a carnivore, that meant that anyone could. And, in that case, it was safe to assume that the numbers of their club would swell, and that, soon enough, they would be able to seize control over Zootopia- that revolting center of the oppression which predators have been bearing with for too long.

When Fangley and Woodsworth saw Nick's rabbit victim lying on the ground, both of them leaned over the metal railing on top of the gallery overlooking the warehouse in anticipation. And when they saw the fox biting into Judy's neck…

They knew that this could be called a successful day.

* * *

Moments earlier, down on the warehouse floor, Judy looked into Nick's green eyes which she'd thought she knew so well. But they were so much different now. So much more _savage_.

True, he'd not eaten in days. His hunger drove him insane… It would have driven anyone insane.

And besides, she was guilty. The recollection of that thought paralyzed her.

One last time, she whispered his name, her lips shaking as she barely kept herself from crying. He didn't even react. His face was still twisted with the anger of a carnivore about to slay his prey, and his pointy fangs exposed.

She couldn't stand the look of those crazed eyes anymore, but as she tried to crawl back, she only collided with the metal shelf behind her. There was nowhere else to go. Hanging her head with a yelp, she prepared for the end.

And then she heard a voice. It sounded as if it came from another world.

"Relax, sweetheart. This is just another hustle."

 _What?_ Was she hearing things? Opening her eyes and blinking a few times, she still saw the same vicious beast standing in front of her. With her mouth agape, she froze as he stood over her and lowered his head so close that she could smell his fur.

"You've gotta trust me, Carrots," she heard him speak again, which meant that she wasn't crazy at all. "Just like I trusted you then, on the train."

It was a miracle, after all!

As she looked up, their eyes met. The fox blinked, indicating to her that, all along, he was only pretending.

"Well… Hallelujah!" the rabbit gasped with an undescribable feeling of relief. She would have smiled, but the amount of shock she received made that impossible.

What Nick did then was not that pleasant, however.

Bending down, as if to dispatch his prey, he whispered:

"Brace yourself. This is going to hurt… Now, just like last time- _play dead_!"

The fox opened his mouth afterwards… and bit into the skin on Judy's neck. A wave of pain went through her body as the predator lifted her up from the ground.

Then, he began to run.

* * *

"I guess I won the bet, Robert," Butcher whispered with a victorious grin, seeing that Nick finally caught his prey. "You can send the money to my bank account."

" _Hmf._ It seems I was wrong about Officer Wilde…" the bobcat mumbled gloomily.

But as the two predators continued to observe the hunter as he carried the rabbit carcass in his teeth, they noticed that something about the scene was a bit odd.

"Wait!" his boss interrupted him. "Why's he biting her neck from the back, not from the front? Is she even dead? _Uh_ , I clearly told him to…"

Fangley then stopped in mid-sentence as both of them witnessed Nick continuing to run.

"Where's he going?!" Butcher's voice became a lot more irritated.

"To his burrow, perhaps?" Woodsworth guessed, a smirk appearing on his face. "I don't suppose he wants to share his supper with anyone else…"

Then, to his shock, Fangley realized that Nick was heading toward the exit…

" _I should have known he was just trying to out-fox me_!" he growled, grinding his fangs.

"I guess, in these circumstances, _you_ owe _me_ a raise. Sir," his assistant stated with satisfaction.

Butcher exhaled deeply, and hung his head.

"Shoot him… Just _shoot him_ ," he then ordered.

The bobcat immediately grabbed a rifle that lay right by his side, prepared for such an eventuality.

"With pleasure," Woodsworth said with a grin, putting his eye to the scope.

* * *

Judy was heavier than Nick had given her credit for. As he ran, the rabbit dangling from his jaws, he could also smell the intensive scent of her fur, which wasn't making things easier, either.

But what he now had to do was focus all of his attention on another instinctive impulse- the one to _escape_.

As he passed by the aisles of the warehouse, he ran to where he remembered the exit was. Judy groaned, feeling his sharp teeth biting, but he had to ignore that. If he hesitated, they would both surely be dead soon.

The door was right in front of them. All it took now was to open it. As he made the final couple of leaps, he looked for a switch. It was right there- a big button on the right, glowing red.

The doors began to open... but that happened before the fox even reached the switch. Holding his breath, he noticed two pairs of bear paws appearing on the other side…

 _Oh no! It's Clawford!_ he realized, to his great dismay.

Halting immediately, he slipped on the smooth floor, just as Judy had. They both gasped as the fox almost dropped his partner… Fortunately, scratching the ground with his sharp claws, he was able to maintain balance and not fall on his face.

He turned around as fast as he could, and heard a whistling sound. Then, right next to his head, he saw a tranquilizer dart sticking out of a nearby crate.

"Nick! _Run!_ " the rabbit rushed him.

Able to regain his speed before the bear, being hindered by the slowly opening warehouse door, could start his pursuit after them, the fox took a turn and ran toward the other exit. Then he heard Judy's voice again.

"No, not that door! Burns is behind that one!"

Cursing under his breath, he changed the direction yet again… His muscles began to burn. This hunt had definitely turned out longer than he'd intended.

Another dart flew right over his head.

* * *

The furious Butcher pulled the rifle out of Woodsworth's paws.

" _Give me that!_ " he yelled at his assistant. "You couldn't shoot an elephant if he was standing on your tail! Now go catch that damn cop before he runs off with his fuzzy friend!"

Embarrassed and mad, the bobcat nodded, and vanished behind one of the doors that led downstairs. Fangley then went over to the wall, turned the lights back on, and took off his goggles.

He could see that his target was blinded by the light and confused. He was now surrounded from two opposite directions, and both the tiger and the bear were closing in on him. When the predator standing on top of the gallery was almost about to fire at him again, Nick then quickly pounced, and vanished behind a bunch of boxes.

"C'mon… You've got nowhere to go, anyway!" hissed Butcher.

He lost track of him. Indeed, Nick was using his instinct well- not only could he hunt, but he was also good in hiding.

Lifting his head up and putting the gun away, Fangley inspected the whole warehouse. He could see Burns and Clawford's movements, but there was no sign of the fox.

Finally, he heard a sound. Another door, one far away from where the guards were standing, began to open.

" _He's heading toward the loading area!_ " Butcher yelled, himself beginning to run toward a spot from which he could aim better.

* * *

It seemed that Nick had outsmarted everyone. Squeezing silently in between pallets, he managed to make his way to a door on the other side of which, as he remembered, was another empty warehouse. And inside of that, was the exit from the Fangley Industries building.

When he pressed the big red switch, he almost laughed out loud. He was standing in a spot that whoever was firing at them could not possibly see. But the doors opened so mercilessly slow…

Panting heavily, Judy moaning in his jaws, he got down on all fours again, waiting to squeeze through as soon as a big enough passage was ready.

"Almost there…" his partner uttered, holding her breath. By now, he'd pierced her skin with his fangs, and was sure that she was in a lot of pain.

Finally, he lay down on the floor and began crawling under the door. There was no one on the other side this time.

When they were both through, he stood up and prepared to make a final run for the exit.

Just for a quarter of a second, however, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. It was a large, orange shape… and it was moving his way at the speed of lightning!

"ROADKILL!" yelled Robert Woodsworth, sitting behind the steering wheel of an electric hi lo where he had been hiding, waiting for the two runaway prisoners.

Pouncing forward in the nick of time, the fox was barely able to dodge the machine's sharp metal fork. The body of it crashed into his side with all its force, however. The sound of cracking bones caused him to pass out, and the last thing he remembered was that he let go of Judy.

The rabbit screamed as she collided with the floor. Rolling over several times, she ended up on her back, completely out of breath and unable to move because of both exhaustion and pain.

All she could see was Woodsworth exiting the hi lo, and standing over her limp body with a mean smirk.

"I told you to have your eyes open for speeding forklifts, Miss McFurrey…" he uttered sarcastically.

She didn't even have enough strength to answer. Moments later, she also saw Oscar Fangley standing by his assistant's side, wielding a rifle. Without a word, the fox pointed the gun at her, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

 **AN:** **Those hi los man, they can go really fast. And they can seriously hurt you if you're not careful.**

 **Yes, the scene depicted in the avatar did, in fact, come true. I hope it was in a way you didn't expect ;) If you _did_ think that Nick would actually eat Judy, you can consider yourself hustled by both of the sly foxes in my story- firstly, by Fangley, who says that all predators are savage deep down inside, and then, by Nick himself, who's been pretending that he _is_ savage deep down inside.  
**

 **Sadly however, this time, Nick's hustle didn't work completely. So... what now?! :(**

 **Your reviews have been radically different from one another until now, and I suspect they will remain like that. If you're disappointed (and yet continue to read this story), I ask you to persevere until the end. If you're _still_ not satisfied then, I'm considering writing a _second, alternate version of the ending_ , but we'll see. I'm not sure about that yet.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Greetings in the new year! Anyone still here? ;)  
**

 **As I thought- some of you like the idea of Nick not turning savage, some of you don't. I don't think I'd ever be able to satisfy everyone. But please- stay with me. I hope to still surprise you with a thing or two ;)**

 **And, okay. I didn't want to kill off one of the main characters (c'mon, poor Judy...), _but_ , I do confess- a version in which that _does_ happen seems interesting to me as well. Therefore, this story will have _two endings_ \- one that follows this course of events, and an alternative one, in which what happens in chapter 17 is quite different. So please be patient.  
**

 **For now, however, let us continue.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

It was dark, and Nick couldn't see anything. He also couldn't move. He realized that someone must have tied his paws behind his back.

Then, when he attempted to scream, he noticed something else. He was wearing a muzzle.

Struck by an attack of panic that made him groan in agony, rolling over on his back, he kicked the air with his hind legs. This experience was pure torture to him, especially that he felt a terrible, burning pain in his side.

This lasted for several minutes, and every one of them was as long as an hour.

He was finally blinded by the light when someone sprayed ice-cold water on him, waking him up. When he realized that he could move his paws after all, he quickly lifted them up to touch his snout. The muzzle was only part of a nightmare. But the pain in his side remained, and it seemed as if he had at least one broken rib.

With the water dripping from his fur, he remained kneeling on the concrete floor, blinking to make his eyes used to the light.

Then, he saw two familiar, yet frightful sights: the bars of his cage, and Oscar Fangley.

Butcher was still holding the water hose, which he'd just used to wake both Nick and Judy from their tranquilizer-induced sleep. He didn't seem angry, but rather disappointed. After putting the hose away, he picked something up from the floor which Nick recognized to be his pants.

"You're terrible at dying, do you know that?" uttered Fangley.

"If you thought that I would _ever..._ " Nick attempted to snarl a jeering remark back at him, but before he could finish, he had to catch the dirty clothing which was thrown straight in his face.

Not saying anything anymore, he began to put his pants back on. Then, finding what was left of his shirt on the floor, he slipped that on as well, and afterwards stood up. His partner noticed that he wasn't able to straighten his back fully because of the pain.

Fangley eyed both of the barely conscious prisoners closely. He'd turned all of the lights in the underground warehouse on, and they were able to see that he had two other guards with him- Brenda, his own secretary, and Lawrence, his stepson. All three animals were wearing clothes, which must have meant that it was daytime again.

The predator in the business suit folded his arms behind his back. His gaze was stone-cold and merciless, as was his voice.

"It's true what they say. All cops really are bastards…" he announced grimly. "From now on, no more mister nice fox. No more food. No more water. You lost all your predator privileges. I will see you feed on your friend's flesh, Officer Wilde. And then, I will see you rot."

He turned to his guards afterwards, suddenly raising his voice.

"Watch this _carrion_ , or I'll TEAR YOUR HEADS OFF!"

Brenda didn't even bat an eyelash when she heard her boss' scream, whereas Lawrence flinched and moved out of the older fox's way as Fangley walked toward the exit.

Only then did Nick and Judy look at one another. The male officer felt a strong smell of rabbit blood, which was making his bowels quake... He noticed that the injury he himself had inflicted by biting the skin on his partner's neck had created a large crimson stain on the back of her t-shirt.

Judy herself, realizing that her friend's injuries made it difficult for him to move, went over to his side on her own. She couldn't even begin to express how grateful she was to him, even if his plan had failed.

Tears flowed from the eyes of both of them as they shared an embrace.

"Carrots… I'm so sorry…" Nick whimpered with a broken voice.

She wanted to say that it was okay. She wanted to cheer him up somehow. She didn't have enough time.

They both shuddered and hugged even more tightly when they saw the puma charging toward the bars with an expression of rage on her face. They thought she couldn't really hurt them while they were inside…

… but they were wrong.

Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, the female guard took out a small object both of the prisoners weren't able to recognize at first.

They did immediately when Brenda sprayed fox repellant straight in Nick's face.

The smell of the burning gas made even Lawrence move away. But the police officer was hit bad. Judy fell to the floor, as the mace was also burning her own eyes, but she couldn't even imagine the effect it had on her partner.

Coughing and wheezing in agony, Nick crawled into the corner of the cage in a desperate attempt to move out of the cloud of gas. Unable to breathe, he began to groan in panic. His eyes and lungs felt like they were on fire, and he still had to add that to the pain caused by his broken rib.

The warehouse was filled with the sound of his intense coughing. It took him nearly a minute to catch his breath again, during which he'd almost lost his consciousness. Eventually, he collapsed flat on the floor, gasping for air, rubbing his aching eyes with his paw.

Judy would have helped him, only if the puma wasn't looking at her threateningly…

Both her and Lawrence stood right by the cage. The guards did not speak to one another or do anything else. They just watched and watched.

That state of affairs lasted for several hours.

The fox repellant eventually wore off, and Nick was able to sit with his back against the bars. It seemed as if even the hair of his fur hurt him at this point…

Plus, he was _ravenously_ hungry.

He tried to think of any possible way they could still get out of this alive… but he couldn't as much as get his thoughts together for a very long time.

Brenda kept eyeing the prisoners as well as her colleague, making sure he didn't get distracted. But, after enough time, even she looked like she needed to stretch her bones. Walking up to Lawrence suddenly, she grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him away from the cage in order to whisper in the startled young predator's ear.

Making sure not to be noticed, Judy pricked up an ear curiously…

"What's up?" asked the fox.

" _Shhh!_ " the mountain lioness silenced him. "I gotta go pee! Keep your eye on these two. If they move a single whisker, shoot them!"

Taking her gun out of the holster, she handed it to Lawrence discreetly. Then she quickly ran toward the door, and vanished.

The last guard left in the room then hid the gun in the pocket of his sports hoodie and, taking a look around, pulled his phone out, and started typing.

To his surprise, Nick noticed that this caused his partner to stand up, her eyes filled with the look of determination. She then came up to the bars, grasping the metal with her paws.

" _Lawrence!_ " she cried toward the fox, sounding as if she was about to start crying.

Her partner narrowed his eyes…

The young carnivore didn't even turn his face away from the screen.

"Hey, _sit down!_ " he yelled back at Judy, though without much conviction.

Then the rabbit's voice assumed a note of utter sorrow.

"Please, Lawrence! They're going to kill us!"

Understanding that this was actually brilliant, and that they had precious little time, Nick stood up and gazed toward the other fox himself.

"You've got to help us!" Judy kept pleading. "I'm _begging you!_ You said you're not a killer… If you don't help us now, you'll be responsible for two deaths! You heard what Fangley said… He doesn't just want me dead anymore. He wants to kill Nick, who's a predator and a fox, just like you!"

The guard finally redirected his eyes toward the cage… From the expression on his face, the prisoners could see that he was fighting an inner battle.

"Lawrence, _please!_ " tears ran down Judy's face as she reached out with her paw toward him from behind bars. "Just give me your phone. Please, before Brenda comes back…!"

The young animal took a step forward. But then he hesitated and froze, mouth agape.

"Lawrence, _hurry!_ " this time, Nick also rushed him, grasping his aching side, frowning in pain.

That did the trick. Looking terribly remorseful, the fox went over to Judy, and passed her the device he was holding.

The rabbit's partner almost laughed seeing that, as soon as she touched the phone with her fingers, the fake sorrow on Judy's face vanished, being replaced with professional determination again. He was truly impressed by how she managed to outwit another member of his species.

Without the slightest moment of hesitation, Judy dialed 911. But when she put the phone to her ear, what she heard was not the sound of the dispatcher…

It was the furious roar of a puma.

Brenda, who had just come back, charged toward the cage, making all three animals in the warehouse flinch in utter horror.

Lawrence went pale for a second… and then he started yelling.

"S-she stole my phone! _She stole my phone!_ Quick! Open the cage!"

Pulling a key out of her pocket, the mountain lioness began to remove the padlock, growling as she did so. Judy had never, _ever_ longed to hear anyone's voice more than when she waited for that dispatcher to answer her call…

When the cage was open, Brenda barged inside, baring her fangs and claws. But there was still someone else standing in her way.

ZPD Officer Nicholas Wilde.

Falling on all fours before her in his tattered shirt, he also began growling furiously. The sudden adrenaline rush made him forget about his injuries. However, his partner froze when she saw how much smaller he was than his opponent.

Nick did not hesitate, however. Using his instincts once more, he pounced, landing on Brenda's back and attempting to scratch her eyes out. The puma roared like the wild beast she was.

In the meantime, Lawrence decided to walk into the cage and get his phone back himself. He knew very well that, if he just continued to stand there, he'd undoubtedly be killed along with the prisoners. So, charging at Judy, he also exposed his sharp teeth.

What he didn't realize, however, was that Judy, his natural prey, could handle herself pretty well. After all, she did not finish the Zootopia Police Academy for nothing.

As soon as the young fox attempted to grab her paw an immobilize her, she kicked him right in the stomach. Lawrence groaned, tripped, and fell to the floor.

Unfortunately, at that same time, Brenda managed to grab Nick with her massive paw. Lifting him from her back, she cast him away like a rag doll. Then, frothing at the mouth, she charged at Judy…

In order to save the phone in a final, desperate attempt, the rabbit shoved her arm through the bars. Then, she began screaming.

"Officer Judy Hopps, _537 Parrot Street_ , FERNDALE, _HORNE COUNTYYY_ …!"

The last word turned into a shriek of pain as the furious puma picked her up as well and began shaking her so forcefully that the poor rabbit let go of the device, which hit the ground and shattered. She then threw Judy to the floor, what almost caused her to pass out.

When the female officer opened her eyes again, in spite of being in terrible pain, she was able to see Nick lying in the opposite corner of the cage. He was only pretending to be unconscious, however, for as soon as Lawrence, who by now was back on his feet, took a step toward him, the other fox charged at him, attempting to steal the gun which he still carried in his pocket. The two began wrestling.

Their struggle was cut short by Brenda knocking them both to the ground by one powerful swing of her paw. After doing that, she herself grabbed the gun, which also ended up on the floor in the process.

Judy ran up to her, attempting to bite her tail… but then received a strong kick of the puma's hind leg, losing her balance.

"Have you got too many teeth, _rodent?!_ " the feline yelled at her.

The female officer hit the bars of the cage with her head, and her eyes immediately became flooded with blood. Nick wanted to react to that, but Brenda pointed the barrel of her revolver at him.

That was it.

The defeated fox put his paws up in the air… but that only made the carnivore laugh maniacally.

Suddenly and without warning, she slashed him in the chest with her claws. Nick fell down, curling up because of the unbearable pain that resulted from his many wounds. A small stream of his blood flowed through the concrete floor.

"Don't you move, you pansies, or I'll turn you into an extinct species. _Understood?!_ " yelled Brenda, breathing heavily.

She then grabbed Lawrence by the hood of his sweatshirt and, walking backwards with the gun drawn, exited the cage.

"Close it!" she ordered her fellow guard, who promptly obeyed, replacing the padlock on the door.

Defeated and groaning in pain, the only thing Nick and Judy could do then was to examine how bad their injuries were, and attempt to stop the bleeding somehow. The fox had a black eye, a nasty gash on his chest, and it seemed like he'd popped another rib. The rabbit felt as if she'd almost suffered a concussion, and had a split eyebrow which bled so badly she had to put Nick's old tie around her forehead in order to be able to see.

But before they were even able to snap out of their shock, the doors opened and someone barged into the warehouse. They flinched when they saw Butcher, almost preparing to meet their Maker at his paw very soon…

But Fangley didn't even look their way. Instead, he stood head-on with Lawrence.

Almost paralyzed with fear, the young fox attempted to explain himself… Before he even uttered a single word, however, his stepfather slapped him on the face with his claws unsheathed.

Lawrence yelped, grabbing his injured cheek. His eyes went wide when he saw that he was bleeding. Her boss's sudden gesture made even Brenda stand in astonishment.

" _TRAITOR!_ " Butcher yelled with a vicious, unbridled fury. Then he grabbed the terrified animal's clothes, almost lifting him from the ground. "I've taken you from the street, fed you, given you a job… I gave you _everything!_ I treated you as my _son_ , Lawrence! If it weren't for me, you'd still be stealing wallets in the alleys of Zootopia… Is _this_ how you show your gratitude?! By endangering all that we've been trying to achieve here?! You've been eating meat for free, and now you dare to betray us on a whim?!"

Tears appeared in the young fox's eyes… He knew that his stepfather must have observed the whole scene of his betrayal up in the surveillance room. He had his mouth open, as if wanting to speak, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Fangley threw him to the floor, and stretched out his paw toward Brenda.

"The gun," he ordered, looking at what the puma was holding.

" _No!_ Oscar, please…" Lawrence whimpered, attempting to grab Butcher's jacket. But the older fox pushed him away.

"On your _knees!_ " he then yelled. "You know what the punishment is for _treason_."

After a very short moment of hesitation, the mountain lioness passed the revolver to her boss. Fangley then put the barrel to his horrified stepson's forehead. Nick and Judy held their breath…

The warehouse was filled with the echoing sound of a gunshot.

* * *

 **AN: That's what you get for playing with your phone too much.**

 **Since Judy's alive, I also had to give her a little more guts. At least right before her and her partner got their rumps kicked... and their seemingly unevitable death.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Oscar Fangley's ears suddenly dropped. Lifting the gun he was holding, he realized that he'd not pulled the trigger at all. The sound of the gunshot he heard did not come from inside of the warehouse… but from outside.

"Did you hear that…?" he asked, confused.

The young fox who was still kneeling in front of him with his paws up in the air, surprised to still be alive, looked at his stepfather in utter astonishment. Also Brenda seemed completely disoriented.

"It sounded like shooting… It came from upstairs!" she stated, confirming her boss' fears.

Butcher's eyes became as wide as saucers. Quickly giving the gun back to the puma, he ordered:

"Watch them!"

Then, grabing his phone, he ran toward the door. Before he vanished from their eyes, the animals in the warehouse were still able to hear him scream.

" _ROBERT!_ What the _hell_ is going on up there?!"

Then, there was nothing but silence.

Not knowing what else to do, Brenda ordered Lawrence to stand up from the ground. The terrified fox obeyed promptly, and the mountain lioness led him toward Nick and Judy's cage at gunpoint.

"You're gonna have to share your food with this rat!" she addressed the male prisoner as she unlocked the padlock. Then she shoved Lawrence inside…

… and all of them flinched as the sound of another gunshot resounded within the hall. It was immediately followed by several others.

The two police officers shared a hopeful gaze…

" _Damn it!_ " yelled the puma, clearly distraught. Pulling Lawrence out of the cage again, she turned him around and screamed in his face. "You may be a traitor, but you'll fight with us! If we go down, we all go down together!"

She locked the door and, dragging the shuddering animal with her, started walking toward the exit.

"No! _NO!_ " cried the young fox. "I don't wanna die for you! I'm not going out there!"

Lawrence struggled as much as he could, but the feline guard was much stronger than him. Eventually, she managed to pull the squirming youngster outside. The door shut behind their backs, and Judy and Nick were left alone.

The rabbit looked at the shattered cellphone lying on the floor.

"Those gunshots!" she gasped, overjoyed. "It's gotta be the police! They heard my call!"

Her partner was so happy he leapt up to his feet, in spite of his wounds.

"I hope you're right, Carrots!" he said, grinning.

The duo of cops attempted to embrace one another… but they were in so much pain that they decided to leave that for later.

After a few moments, a whole new cannonade of gunshots could be heard. It seemed that by now a regular shoot-out had broken out above their heads.

It was music to their ears, but they knew they weren't safe just yet. Approaching the padlock of their cage, Nick examined it, trying to figure out a way to free them. And then he heard Judy's cry.

"Look over there!" she pointed at something.

"Well I'll be… this has gotta be our lucky day," the fox gasped as he noticed the same key their guard had used lying on the ground.

"Brenda must have dropped it when she was struggling with Lawrence!" Judy realized.

At once, she was by the bars, trying to reach the key. But it lay out of the reach of her arm.

" _Uh_ … Move away, Carrots. Let me try," Nick offered.

Standing up in disappointment, Judy sent him an offended gaze.

"If I can't reach it with my paw, you can't do it with yours, either!"

"Who said anything about using my paw?" the fox said with a smirk.

Then, he sat down on his butt, with his back against the bars. With the help of his long tail, he was soon able to pull the key his way. Standing back up and swinging it in the air, he looked at his partner with triumph.

"This ol' thing is useful for others purposes than just chasing rabbits around!" he said, fawning his red brush.

"Okay, whatever!" Judy clenched her fists in anxious anticipation. "Open the cage! _Quick!_ "

Right after she said that, they heard a couple more gunshots. This time, however, they were much louder.

"They're coming from the other side of the corridor!" the rabbit estimated, pricking up her ears.

Deciding that they'd stand a better chance in whatever was about to happen if they were free, Nick unlocked the padlock and pushed the walls of their cage apart. Running out of their hated prison at last, the two wounded police officers stood in front of the doors to the warehouse, waiting.

The sounds that came from the other side were truly gruesome. There was a gunfight going on, and animals were screaming frantically at each other. After a couple of minutes, Judy was able to recognize a familiar voice… it was the one that blonged to Butcher.

"Police brutality! _Police brutality!_ " he kept yelling.

" _Police!_ " Nick and Judy said in unison, gazing at one another.

And then they were forced to take a step back, as the doors burst open. Oscar Fangley ran into the warehouse, coughing, and immediately barricaded the entrance, leaning against it with his back. He was completely terrified.

As the fox lifted his fearful eyes at the two freed prisoners, they could see that the one-time hunter was now being hunted himself.

Butcher was almost thrown to the floor as the doors he was standing by were forced open. Stumbling with a gasp, he turned around and beheld a truly frightening sight- a cloud of smoke entered the warehouse, and with it came a horned beast with a horrifying black face, wielding a sub-machine gun. Nick and Judy recognized the cloud to be tear gas, and quickly stood back.

"I'm unarmed!" Fangley yelped in horror, his paws springing into the air. "I'm una…"

He did not finish, however. The horned creature pointed its gun at him... and shot a single bullet, which hit the fox in the stomach. The animal howled in pain, bent over, and collapsed to the floor.

Nick and Judy stood petrified. The being before them took off its gas mask, revealing the face of a middle-aged goat. It was none other than the Horne County sheriff, who looked down on the wounded Fangley, spat, and hissed:

" _Specieist trash!"_

Then, noticing the presence of the two prisoners, he walked over their way.

"Officer Wilde! Officer Hopps!" he recognized them. "Thank goodness we finally found you two! We've been lookin' all over for ya! Are y'all okay?"

He was soon able to see, from their tattered clothes, gaunt appearance and many bloodstains, that they were _not_ completely okay. But when he made sure that they were conscious enough to speak, he gazed at them with narrowed eyes and asked under his breath.

"Do you mind relating to me what you've just witnessed here?"

Nick didn't quite get what the sheriff had in mind… but his partner understood it well.

"Butcher was resisting arrest…" Judy stated with a sigh. "He lunged at you, and he had to be subdued."

The goat, not saying anything more, nodded with appreciation.

From behind his back, after the tear gas had evaporated, there came a bunch of animals in Horne County police as well as ZPD uniforms, wearing bullet-proof vests and weilding guns. When they realized what had happened in the room, they stood with a sense of accomplishent and triumph.

The stunned Nick then observed as Judy came up to the wounded Butcher, and gazed into his clouded eyes with a vengeful demeanor.

"This is from Mathilda," she said to him coldly.

Fangley bared his teeth and groaned, desperately trying to dam the bleeding from his stomach with a paw. Nick then approached him himself.

"We are more than just beasts, Oscar," he attempted to address the defeated maniac's reason for the last time.

The fox opened his eyes, and with great effort lifted his head to look at the other member of his species.

"Are we?" he mumbled. "Are we… really?"

A new cramp of pain made him grind his bloodied fangs. He then closed his eyes in resignation.

"You have won…" said Oscar Fangley, but it took him a few more seconds to utter the last word of the sentence.

"… nothing."

Seeing that he no longer heard them, Judy stood up and turned toward the sheriff and his squad.

"Well? What's wrong with you?" she addressed them angrily. "Call an ambulance!"

* * *

 **AN: In case you don't remember, the animals from Horne County are prey supremacists. It appears that this includes the local police. _Oopsie._ ZPD and the sheriff had indeed been busy looking for their missing fellow officers, just that they did not know where to look. Before Judy called them using Lawrence's phone, that is.  
**

 **This time, thanks to our bunny cop's cunning, it's one more point for herbivores, and the game is therefore theirs. Even if they did not exactly win it according to the rules...**

 **Butcher may be down, but this is deffinitely not the end of the story yet, folks! ;)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The late-summer sun was still blazing outside of the window. But that did not bother Nick at all, as his hospital room was luckily air-conditioned.

After the Horne County police pulled him and Judy from the bowels of _Butcher's Den_ and the adrenaline which had been released into their blood during the shootout wore out, the two former prisoners found themselves in the state of utter exhaustion. The malnourished fox was taken away by the vets, and as they placed him in the ambulance, he exchanged a final look with his partner, who was being questioned by the sheriff. After that, Nick was patched up, taken to St. Francis' Hospital in Zootopia, given a huge vegetarian meal… and slept for the next 48 hours straight.

Right now, even though his broken ribs still hurt when he moved, he felt like he was born again. Lying in his comfy hospital bed wearing a standard-issue patient's gown, hooked up to a nutrient drip, he was swinging his tail back and forth as it hung loosely from under the sterile-white sheets. By his side, on the lamp stand, there stood a bunch of flower pots with bouquets in them, and a box of donuts. He was still fast asleep when the guests came to visit him, but he was sure that the gifts were from his fellow police officers from the ZPD. That became even clearer when he opened the donuts and noticed that a whole row of them had been eaten. The rest were rearranged in a way as if to look like there were only so many to begin with, but Nick knew better than that. Especially when he noticed Clawhauser's chubby fingerprints on the glazing.

Deciding that his stomach could use something more than just his IV, he reached toward the box and picked up one of the more intact pastries.

"I usually refuse to be a walking stereotype," the cop whispered to himself, "but this one's cinnamon!"

After chomping down on the donut, Nick shook the crumbs off his sheets and, placing his paws underneath his head, stretched out with a relaxed moan.

Then, suddenly, he felt someone's presence on the other side of the door. Closing his eyes and sniffing the air, he caught a familiar scent.

" _Uhh!_ C'mon in, Carrots!" he grumbled, pretending to be exasperated by her presence. "I can smell prey from a mile away, remember?"

Indeed, a moment later, the rabbit opened the door, perplexed by the fact that she didn't even need to knock. Seeing her confusion, the fox snorted in amusement.

"Oh great! They put me in a predator-only ward to keep me far from the smell of herbivores' blood, and then _you_ show up."

When she stood at the foot of his bed, smiling delicately, he saw that she was wearing her uniform again.

"Figures! I should have known you'd be back on duty the next day after our release. You workaholic!"

Narrowing her eyes, Judy put her paws on her hips.

"If I were a workaholic, I wouldn't drive all the way over here to visit such a smug, two-faced, fast-talking son of a vixen as yourself. Especially at a moment like this. By the way, do you realize that you drool in your sleep?"

" _Puh!_ " Nick snorted back at her. "I do things that are much worse when I'm awake…"

After another moment of staring at each other, both of them just started laughing.

"Ah, c'mere!" exclaimed the fox, stretching out his paws toward his friend. Judy fell into his embrace, hugging him so tightly that his injuries made him groan in pain.

"Oh, I thought you'd never wake up!" confessed the affected female, nuzzling into his red fur. "I've missed you so much!"

"Yeah, same here…" he yelped, trying to free himself from her grasp. "Now _lemme go!_ I still got three broken ribs, for Pete's sake!"

Obeying reluctantly, Judy stood by the side of the bed, grinning in joy. Nick noticed that she was still wearing a bandage on her forehead.

"So, how many stitches did you get?" he asked.

"You mean, on my eye brow? Only five." She then turned around, revealing a larger dressing on her neck. "And sixteen more back here!"

" _Sixteen?_ " gasped the fox, admiring his own work. "Wow, I only got thirteen on my chest! I still can't believe someone bit you on the neck like that. What kind of a vicious beast would do such a thing?"

"Well, I don't know. Must have been someone especially… _Wilde_."

" _Huh,_ " jeered the fox. "That must mean I'm more ferocious than a mountain lion. Never thought I had it in me!"

"And neither did I…" Judy mumbled with a frown, rubbing her nape.

"So, whatcha bring me?" Nick inquired, sitting up and gazing toward the big bag his partner brought with her in anticipation.

"This? This is your uniform. You can't go back to work naked, you know."

"Oh, very funny…"

"But that's not all!" continued the rabbit, pulling out a paper box.

"What, did you bring your home-made carrot cake?" the question was followed by Nick assuming a fake expression of disgust.

Judy sent him an angry glare.

" _No._ I know you don't like my carrot cake, and I'll _never_ make any more for you!" She then opened the box, and handed it to the fox. "Here."

"Gosh! _Blueberries!_ " the patient gasped, overjoyed. "Thank you so much! That's so thoughtful. I'm really lucky to have a hick like you for a friend…"

Observing him munch on the fruit with a cocked brow, Judy mumbled:

"Just don't eat 'em all at once."

"Hey!" the fox answered with his mouth full. "I lost 25% of my total body mass out there! Get off my case!"

Reacting to that, the rabbit just sighed.

"So… How're you feeling?" she inquired. "Everything… okay?"

"Yeah, I'm survivin'," he demonstrated a grin, his fangs red with blueberry juice. "I guess you'd agree that it's way better here than in the cage. No bars… I get three meals a day, _minus_ the animal fat… I even found myself a new partner!" Lifting up his paw, he tapped on the bag of his IV. "We're inseparable!"

" _Hm_ , she seems a bit hollow…" Judy pointed out.

"Ah, you're just saying that cause you're jealous. The nurse should be here to change the drip, eventually. Now _she's_ not hollow… Say Carrots, would you mind opening the window for me? It's still so darn hot. I gotta make myself some pawpsicles when I get home."

Following his request, the rabbit approached the window and opened it. But then she turned back to the fox, confused.

"Wait a minute. This room has AC… _Hey!_ What're you doing?"

To her shock, while she was looking the other way, Nick pulled out a box of Mareboro Strongs from the drawer of his lamp stand.

"So, the thugs at _Butcher's Den_ didn't use cigarettes to force information out of you, after all!" she said, outraged. "I knew it! You just started smoking again!"

Blowing a cloud of smoke through his mouth, the fox looked at her casually.

"Oh, I'm sorry. FYI, I work a job with a high amount of stress involved."

"Yeah, no kiddin'…" Judy rolled her eyes, taking the pack of cigarettes in her paw and examining it. "How'd you even get these? You're not allowed to smoke at a hospital!"

Lifting up his chin with a cocky smirk, with the cig in his fangs, he answered:

"Don't ya know, fluffball? I'm _Nick Wilde_. I can do _anything_. I used to smoke Camels before becoming a cop, but these are way better…"

And then, all of a sudden, his vulpine sense of being able to detect movement on the other side of a wall indicated something rather disturbing to him. His eyes went wide.

"Oh _crap_ …" he gasped. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he sent the cigarette flying out of the window. The box of Mareboro Strongs which he snatched from his partner's paws and the lighter also vanished in the drawer in the blink of an eye.

Judy looked toward the door curiously…

Indeed, moments later, a tall female Scotch Collie in a nurse's outfit walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, officers," she addressed both her patient and his visitor with a smile.

"Hi there," said Judy.

"Hello, nurse…" the fox also mumbled with an innocent smile, hoping that the fumes had already escaped through the open window.

The Collie then came over to the side of his bed, and began changing the drip.

"It's time for your lunch, Officer Wilde," she said to him.

" _Mmm_ , yum-yum…" Nick moaned with delight.

The nurse was done in a flash, and quickly began walking toward the exit. Before she did, however, she turned around one last time.

"You know, Mr. Wilde, if you smoke in your bed again, I'm going to have to give you an enema!" she uttered her threat jokingly.

"Oh, please do…" her patient smiled back at her.

"Stop it, Officer!" she chuckled, blushing. "No use teasing. I've told you already, I'm not into red-heads."

"But red-heads are beautiful!" the fox still tried to change her mind, although she was already on her way out of the room.

Left alone again, Nick and Judy restarted their conversation.

"So, how's Zootopia doing after this whole carnivore crisis?" the male cop inquired a bit more seriously.

"Oh that's right, you don't know anything!" his partner then realized, and frowned. "The crisis is not over by a long sight. Actually, the situation is pretty bad… ZPD and the Horne County Sheriff are doing their best to keep the whole case as confidential as possible, but the press continues to sniff around. Many disturbing details were already leaked to the public. It's like after the night howler thing all over again… In the city, prey animals are scared of predators walking in the streets, whereas predators are organizing predator-pride rallies. Over in Horne County, they even had to deal with a bunch of anti-speceist riots! Chief Bogo held a press conference, ensuring everyone that the threat is minimal, and that ZPD is putting all possible effort into catching every single one of the remaining carnivores..."

"Hold on a sec," Nick interrupted her, lifting a paw. "You mean to tell me that it's chief Bogo, not _you_ , who's speaking to the press? But _you're_ the one who's responsible for basically singlehandedly disbanding all of _Butcher's Den!_ "

After he spoke those words, a sad expression appeared on his friend's face. Her ears dropped, and she let out a deep sigh.

"I'm also responsible for starting _Butcher's Den_ , too… Bogo says I'm not allowed to speak to the press ever again. He told me that I've already said enough."

" _What?_ " the fox gasped in anger, sitting up in his bed. "Listen, Carrots- _Butcher's Den_ was not started because you reminded predators of their hunting instincts. It was started because some of them decided to follow those instincts! That's their fault alone. And if it weren't for you, they'd still be doing it!"

Judy sat down on the side of his bed, and hung her head.

" _Uh_ , yeah, maybe you're right... It's just that… too many already recognize my face. Bogo thinks that it would be better if… if _you_ became ZPD's official spokesperson. You know, if we tell the citizens of Zootopia that it was a predator who infiltrated and destroyed _Butcher's Den_ , they may be able to believe that not all predators are savage. That they can trust one another again."

The rabbit thought that Nick would like this announcement. Although, after she delivered it to him, he just remained there, sitting with his mouth agape.

"Chief Bogo wants _me_ to take the cake for stopping Butcher?" he uttered eventually. "But… I can't do that!"

"Nick, you did _a lot_!" his partner protested. "It was _you_ who got us in there. _You_ tricked Fangley into believing that you were on his side. Your plan was so good you even got me fooled! You were _this close_ to getting us out of custody, and then you helped me fight Brenda and Lawrence in the cage. If you weren't there to help me…"

"No," he objected, cutting her off. "That's not it…"

His demeanor promptly shifted to that of deep, anxious sorrow. Judy observed that with true concern. She did sense that he'd been trying to push certain things out of his memory... But that was not completely possible.

"Nick…" Judy whispered, holding his paw. "What's the matter?"

Frowning in discontent, he turned his face, unwilling to look her in the eyes.

"You know what the matter is! Yeah, the whole situation with the hunt was just a big hustle… But I'm also sure you remember what happened _before_ that. You know what I did! I'm a _carnivore_ , Judy! I can't represent the ZPD since I became just like the members of _Butcher's Den_ at one point!"

The rabbit understood well that her friend was deeply traumatized by those events. She was too, to a certain degree… The desperate jokes Nick made, his smoking- all of that was a sign of the inner tension which remained even after they were freed from their cage.

"But you were starving…" she spoke softly, trying to justify his actions to both him and herself. "You weren't acting freely. You didn't want to do that! Did you…?"

The look he gave her was a mysterious one, and very bitter.

"Have you ever had the feeling… of wanting something… and _not_ wanting it, at the same time?" he uttered with clenched fangs, unable to fully describe what was going on inside of him.

Judy wasn't sure she knew what he meant, but she had a hunch that he just needed to let it out. He needed to explain this sensation, and free himself from its shadow.

Holding his paw, she stared him in the face until he turned his head and their eyes met again.

"Nick, why did you steal the meat from Kane that time?" the rabbit asked as calmly as she could.

"Jeez, Carrots! Keep it down…" he whispered, looking around awkwardly. Then, taking another deep breath, both mad and remorseful at the same time, he continued. "I told you already, back in the cage. I was hungry… I-I couldn't control it. That's why I stole the meat."

"Is that all?" his partner kept asking. "Is that the only thing you wanted to achieve?"

"I…" the fox stammered. He then closed his eyes, let go of her paw, and started rubbing his forehead. "I thought that, _maybe_ , if he saw me eating meat, Fangley would let me go. I didn't wanna do it just to… you know… let the instincts loose. I thought that then perhaps I could find a way to free you, somehow, or call for help… or anything! But you saw what happened. It was all for nothing, and then I had to think up the whole deal with the hunt…"

"Nick! _Nick!_ " she interrupted him, smiling. "Can't you see? That changes everything! You didn't just become a carnivore to feed your hunger… you made a huge sacrifice in order to save us!"

"Oh c'mon, don't be ridiculous…"

"No, it's true!" the rabbit insisted, grabbing his paw again. "I-I agree, your plan was… daring. Terrifying, even. Eating meat is bad and disgusting… but you did it to fool Butcher! And it would have worked out for good if only he hadn't been so manipulative with the rules of that darn club of his. Maybe sometimes, we really can't run from the disadvantages of our nature… We may as well use them for good, right?"

Taking a second to meditate on those words, Nick snorted. He had a feeling Judy was saying those things not because she really believed in them, but because she just wanted to make him feel better. He wasn't completely convinced… though he had to admit, that thought did take some of the weight off his chest.

"Well, if I'm stuck being a conning fox… it's best if I'm a cop and con bad guys, right?" he thought aloud.

His conclusion made Judy smile.

"Correct!" she stated.

"If you put it that way, I guess you're right…" he smiled back. But only for a second. "Although, if I'm supposed to speak to the animals of Zootopia… you probably get my drift, Carrots. That little _situation_ with Kane's burger… I think we should keep it to ourselves."

Thinking of her own little secrets associated with this troublesome case, Judy sighed.

"The people don't need to know every last gory detail… but they need to know _something_. They need to be comforted- their hope needs to be restored. I put my trust in you. I'm sure that Zootopia can, as well."

"Well, I don't know about that…" moaned the fox, rolling his eyes. Then he proceeded to examine his claws.

"However…" he continued as a slight smirk appeared on his face. "… I can try to use my foxy smooth-talk to try to convince my fellow mammals to trust me… and maybe even other predators, too."

A grin appeared on his partner's face as well.

"That's the Nick Wilde I know!" Judy exclaimed with joy. "So, are you gonna follow Bogo's lead and speak to the press when you're out of the hospital?"

" _Hmm…_ " the fox wondered. "Am I going to speak to them, you ask? Does the ZPD need a face to represent them, after their last spokesperson did such a lousy job? I may consider such an eventuality…"

" _Hey!_ This isn't funny!" his partner sent him an offended gaze, and hit him on the chest jokingly. Unfortunately, striking the injured spot made the patient cough and squirm in pain…

" _Ugh!_ And neither was this… Sheesh, watch the stitches, Carrots!"

"So sorry!" gasped the rabbit, immediately showing remorse.

After the pain went away, Nick readjusted the pillow underneath his back and continued interviewing Judy about what happened during his recuperation.

"Since we've reached such difficult topics," he began, "I was wondering about our dear carnivorous friend, Oscar. I hope he didn't sue the Horne County sheriff, or the ZPD, for how they raided his factory without a warrant and shot several of his fellow flesh-eaters, along with himself?"

The fox initially wanted to veil this truly difficult subject in the jeering tone of his voice… but when he saw the expression on Judy's face after he asked that question, he dropped his smirk.

The rabbit's eyes became hollow, and she remained sitting on the side of the bed with her ears dropped, in silence. Only after a moment did she pull out her phone.

" _Eh…_ " sighed the female officer, searching for something online. "You'd have found out eventually, anyway…"

She then passed the device to her startled partner. Displayed on the screen, Nick then noticed an article from the Zootopia Mirror's website. When he read the headline, he understood.

" _Butcher dead_ ," he recited aloud, frowning. " _The leader of the Horne County carnivorist syndicate, speceist and predator supremacist Oscar 'Butcher' Fangley, was declared dead on September 9_ _th_ _._ That's just yesterday! _Fangley, who had run his gory enterprise under the cover of a legal industrial firm located in Ferndale, was shot as he attempted to assault an officer during a raid organized by the joint forces of ZPD and the Horne County sheriff. The fox died hours later, after being transported to a local hospital, the cause of death being an extensive internal hemorrhage. More details about the raid as of yet remain undisclosed, as the public demands for the trials of the apprehended carnivores to be made public, and justice exercised."_

After he was done reading, Nick gave his partner her phone back. He could see that, this time, she was the one feeling remorseful. After all, she herself witnessed that Fangley was unarmed when the sheriff shot him… and still, she kept that information to herself.

After a few silent moments, he lifted from his pillow and put his paw on the rabbit's shoulder.

"Hey, Carrots. We stopped him. _You_ stopped him. If you hadn't convinced Lawrence to give you his phone, Butcher and his gang would have continued killing innocents…"

"I know, Nick," she cut him off with a sad note in her voice. "I know. It's just one more thing you shouldn't mention to the press…"

For some reason, the fox then remembered the last words Butcher spoke to him, after he told the wounded criminal that they were more than just beasts.

 _Are we? Are we really?_

He decided that it would be better to change the subject.

"So what about the other members of the Fangley family?" he shifted the tone of his voice to a more official one, attempting to appeal to his partner's professional attitude. "Did you manage to catch his wife... I'm sorry, his _mate_ , and their son?"

"Julia Fangley's in jail," his partner answered gloomily. "Ezra, as far as I know, is with his grandparents. Poor kid... he's basically lost both his father and his mother. I can imagine he's going to have to go through a lot of therapy..."

"And how's the rest of the investigation coming along? Did the sheriff's guys find all the predators from _Butcher's Den_ already _?_ "

"Oh no, not yet," Judy said, not without a note of disappointment. "Many of the workers at _Fangley Industries_ ran as soon as they saw the squad cars at the gate. The police were able to catch some of them, but not all. Brenda Huntswell formatted the hard drives on the factory's computers before they got to them, so we weren't able to find the full list of employees… And then…"

Nick had a feeling that the rabbit did not necessarily feel comfortable with what she was about to disclose to him.

"Then _what?_ " he inquired, narrowing his eyes.

Judy bit her lip…

"After they took us to the hospital and searched the factory," she mumbled awkwardly, "someone started a fire in one of the warehouses. The sheriff isn't sure if it were the carnivores, or a band of local prey supremacists who decided to burn down the place where their loved ones had been slaughtered as soon as they found out about it…"

From a professional point of view, that was bad news indeed.

"So what happened then?" the fox continued asking, glaring at the female officer in anticipation.

"Well… unfortunately, the fire engulfed the whole factory. Most of the evidence is destroyed. I have a feeling that the Horne County police just didn't feel like calling the fire department when they saw _Butcher's Den_ in flames…"

Groaning out loud, Nick made a facepalm…

"Great! _Terrific!_ " he jeered mockingly. "And, of course, who's gonna have to clean up the mess and continue the investigation without any clues? The _ZPD_ , that's who!"

"Hey, calm down!" his partner tried cheering him up. "I haven't told you everything yet!"

"Oh?" the fox halted, then reaching to his light stand in order to grab a donut. "Well, I'm all ears."

As Nick began to eat, Judy turned to him with a little more joyful attitude.

"We did manage to catch _some_ of the carnivores. Most of them remain defiant and keep their mouths shut, but guess what? After we good cop-bad copped his rump for a couple of hours, Lawrence Vulpine decided to spill the beans."

"Wow, really?" her predator pal smiled, his face covered with powdered sugar.

"Yeah! He turned most of his former associates in hoping to receive a lighter sentence. He began saying even more after he found out that both of the masterminds of his stepfather's carnivore empire were dead. He even knows which predator was a hunter, and which just a carrion eater. The search for the remaining animals is currently underway…"

"Wait a minute!" Nick interrupted her enthusiastic monologue, his mouth full of donut. "What do you mean by _both_ masterminds of his stepfather's empire? You wanna tell me that Woodsworth's dead, too?"

Suddenly, the rabbit's eyes went wide. _Very_ wide.

"Oh… _heh-heh_ , didn't I mention that before?" she asked uneasily.

"No, you haven't," the fox licked his fingers and then reached for the blueberries she brought him. "What, did he get shot as well? Or did he get into a hi lo accident?"

Judy hesitated with giving an answer. Finally, after putting a bunch of fruit in his mouth, her partner encouraged her to speak.

"Well? I'm waiting, Carrots! What happened this time? You didn't shoot that darn bobcat yourself, did you?"

"N-no…" stammered the petrified rabbit. Finally, taking a deep breath and straightening, she said: "Nick, I have an announcement to make. Robert Woodsworth did indeed die in an accident, but it wasn't in a hi lo. It was… a car accident."

Gazing at her without a word, the fox continued to chew on the blueberries, indicating to her that he still didn't get it.

"After he saw the sheriff entering the factory, Woodsworth opened fire," she related, feeling the growing burden of the message she had to inevitably deliver. "When the police shot back, he ran for the car and attempted to run… He got to the highway, but the sheriff's guys were on his tail. He fell into a skid, crashed the car… and died."

That was it. She said it. But why did Nick just persist in staring at her like that?

"And this should bother me because…?" he asked finally, seeing that she was trying to tell him something he couldn't quite understand. "Carrots, that bloodthirsty feline was a murderer. If he hadn't died on that highway, he'd die in the Zootopia City Jail's execution chamber. An eye for an eye, a fang for a Fangley."

" _No!_ Nick, don't you get it?" the perplexed rabbit yelled in his face, putting her paws on his shoulders. "Woodsworth crashed _your_ car! He was driving your Stallion Convertible, even though he had it painted silver when we were in the cage…!"

Suddenly, Nick stopped chewing. Swallowing the blueberries without taking much pleasure in doing so, a bitter expression clouding his face, he pointed toward the door.

"What…?" gasped his partner. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No," the fox mumbled back. "I want you to stand by the door and watch if the nurse is coming."

Then, with a heavy sigh, he reached for the drawer in his lamp stand to grab his Mareboro Strongs.

"Are... you gonna be ok?" the distraught bunny asked with concern.

"Yeah..." her partner whined, lighting his cigarette. "I should be, at least until I get lung cancer..."

Judy then hopped off his bed, and proceeded to walk toward the door slowly. But before she got out, she turned toward the fox one more time.

" _Uhm..._ Nick?" she mumbled.

"What?" uttered the fox, gazing through the window angrily.

"We're still partners, right?"

Looking her way, he took the smoking cig out of his mouth and shook the ash off into one of the flower pots on the lamp stand.

"Well, I guess... If you still want it, that is."

Indicating an affirmative answer to him by a smile, Judy was delighted to see that a slight smirk appeared on the fox's face as well afterward, even in spite of the loss of his beloved vehicle. Holding his smoke in his bare fangs, Nick then said:

"Hey, I'll take ya out to dinner as soon as I'm out of this place. How about that?"

" _Uhm_ , I think I'll pass..." the rabbit frowned, surprisingly. "No offence! _Uh_ , you know what I mean, right?"

He chuckled.

"Carrots, by _taking you out to dinner_ I didn't mean..."

"Seriously though, Nick," she interrupted him. "I understand this sounds weird, but... thank you. You know, for... _not eating me._ "

" _Hmf!_ " the fox snorted, amused. "I'd never eat _you!_ You kiddin'? Who would bring me home-grown blueberries if I did that?"

"Well, for a second, I thought you _would._ I'm so sorry about that, too... for thinking that you went savage..."

Blowing a big cloud of smoke toward the open window, the patient continued to grin smugly.

"Carrots, that was _exactly_ what you were supposed to think!" he announced. "It was all part of the hustle, and you played right as this sly, two-faced son of a vixen wanted you to!"

Greatly relieved by the fact that he held no grudge against her behavior (which actually worked both ways), Judy ran up to Nick and, once again, surrounded him with her arms.

"Alright, alright!" laughed the male officer, trying to move his face away so as to not burn his partner's fur with the cigarette he was holding in his teeth, igroring the pain of his injuries. When she finally let him go, they looked into one another's eyes.

"So, if you rather not have me _take you out to dinner_ , or if the idea of me _making you a meal_ seems disturbing to you, how about we go visit the shooting range together someday?" proposed the fox. "I guess that, after this whole hassle, both of us could use some target practice."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Judy demonstrated a smile Nick would have probably called 'cute', as long as she didn't hear him say that. "Bet I can shoot more ballseyes than you do!"

" _Puh!_ There ya go, always the overachiever..." they shared a mutual look of self-confidence and challenge. "Fine. The bet is on. Now, go stand in front of that door! That nurse may be pretty, but I was just kidding about the enema... and I'm not sure if she was, too."

* * *

 **AN:** _ **Ha!**_ **A lot going on in our little aftermath chapter, ey? Not all of the trouble the tragically deceased Butcher had caused is over just yet ;)**

 **So Zootopia is on the brink of chaos, and needs another hero. Last time, it was our token bunny. Now, it's going to be up to our token fox to prove to everyone that not all predators are bad. But can Nick do that since he himself had tasted meat in his moment of weakness? What do you think, was it a moral thing for him to do, or not?**

 **And what about Judy herself? Since she's banned from talking to the press, she's off on a hunt for the remnant of Butcher's carnivores. But can she stay dutiful knowing how she concealed the fact that the Horne County sheriff basically shot Fangley dead while he was unarmed? Was that, along with believing that Nick had gone wild, a sign of her leftover prejudice against predators, and especially foxes? What are your thoughts on that?**

 **Anyway, this is not the final chapter just yet. After such a huge mess, there is still much cleaning to be done. Nick and Judy better forget about their remorse, grab those brooms, and get to work!**


	21. Chapter 21 - Original ending

**Chapter 21**

Lieutenant Nicholas Wilde of the Zootopia Police Department stepped out of the subway car along with a tidal wave of other mammals, which carried him up the escalator and out into the city streets of Precinct 1. Blinded by the morning sunlight, he put on his mirrored shades, and pulled out a pack of Mareboro Strongs from his shirt pocket. Technically, he wasn't allowed to smoke while on duty… but he wasn't on duty yet.

It was five-to-seven AM.

His promotion had earned him a feeling of pride and fulfilment, though not a new car. There were, however, still thoughts haunting his mind which made the need to ride the subway to work a minor problem. He began smoking more. He began drinking more. He began frequenting fish restaurants much, _much_ more. Sometimes, he couldn't fall asleep at night because he was feeling hungry for something different than what any eating place in all of Zootopia could offer him. Sometimes, when he did fall asleep, he would wake up in the dark with a beating heart, imagining that he was tied up, muzzled, and locked in a cage.

During the day, however, he would dedicate himself wholeheartedly to his work. With a shiny golden badge on his chest and with a trustworthy smile of a law enforcer on his face, he would sit in the chairs of journalists and stand in front of cameras as the official spokesperson of the ZPD. There he, a predator and a fox, would do all his best to convince the terrified populace of the city that not all predators were as monstrous as the deceased Butcher, the beast they've all heard about, who had been a fox as well. Nick spoke, avoiding the details which both Judy and Chief Bogo forbade him to disclose, and used his vulpine wit to soothe the masses with stories of how _Butcher's Den_ was infiltrated, exposed, and terminated. The tales always came with a solemn vow that every police officer in Zootopia was doing all he could in order to find every single one of the remnant carnivores, and put them before a judge and jury.

The tales were not a scam, however. Because he'd been there, and saw all of it. What he did was just omit the unnecessary, gory and uncomfortable threads of the story.

Soon, the first flesh eaters were put on public trial, judged, and sentenced. The people's desire for justice was slowly being satisfied. Nick did his job. Now, having unwillingly become Zootopia's hero, he could return to his old police station, and to his regular duties.

As he walked down the streets with his paws in his pockets and a smoke hanging from his lip, masked behind his sunglasses, he did not pay attention when other animals recognized him and looked over their shoulders when he passed by.

Finally, he stood before the entrance to the Police Department. It felt good to be back after so many weeks of boring interviews… Throwing the butt of his cigarette into an outdoor ashtray, he headed inside.

Officer Clawhauser was, of course, more than overjoyed to see his colleague. As soon as the cheetah noticed him walking in, a huge grin appeared on his chubby face.

" _Niiick!_ " he shrieked like a little cub seeing his idol. "I mean, Lieutenant Wilde! Please, allow me to shake your paw… I've seen you on TV. About a thousand times, probably!"

Licking the chocolate off the fur on his fingers (as he'd just finished devouring a candy bar), Clawhauser stretched out his arm and grabbed Nick without even waiting for him to do the same.

"Jeez, Ben! You don't have to call me that," the fox protested, attempting to get his limb back from the much larger animal. "Settle down! I'm still the same animal I was before…"

Setting him free, the corpulent feline glared at him more seriously than ever.

"No, Nick. You're much more than that," he then said solemnly. "You're an example and a model to all of us, especially to cops. And _especially_ especially to predator cops!"

"Ah c'mon! I hardly did anything! Even a kid can smooth-talk a bunch of journalists."

But Clawhauser did not pay any heed to the fox's modesty. Instead, he showed him a whole bunch of flowers which were standing on the side of his counter.

"Just take a look for yourself! Aren't these lovely?"

"What are those?" Nick asked, gazing at the bouquets in confusion. "Did you buy them?"

"No, silly!" the cheetah protested with a snicker. "Read the labels. These are gifts from the grateful citizens of Zootopia! This one's from Abraham Lynxon Primary School in Tundra Town. They're asking you to come speak to the kids! You're a real role model now! And these lovely tulips are from a 'Mrs. Neigh'. See what the little letter says? 'To Lieutenant Wilde, my hero'! And this one here says 'the animals of Horne County will be forever grateful to you for kicking Butchers a…' _uh_ … you probably get the idea. Gosh, and just take a look at those roses! There must be, like, two dozen of them! Oh, I wish I got roses like those from someone at least once… This one also has a label."

Clawhauser opened the letter attached to the huge bouquet as Nick put his elbows on the counter in a pleasant anticipation. But instead of reading the note aloud, the cheetah frowned.

" _Hm,_ I don't get it… You better take a look at this yourself."

He then detached the label delicately, and gave it to the fox. Opening it curiously, he was then able to read the cryptic message inside.

TO N. W. & J. H.

Underneath the initials, there was a print of someone's paw, impressed on the paper with the use of blood-red ink.

He easily recognized that the paw print was that of a wolf.

"Oh, I know perfectly well who this is from," Nick announced with a smirk.

"You do?!" the thrilled Clawhauser gasped. "That's so nice of people! And those are not the first flowers, either. They keep coming!"

"Tell you what, Ben," the fox looked at his colleague. "Keep the flowers. You deserve them as much as I do for all your work. Take care, it's good seeing you again. Later."

"Later…" Clawhauser waved his paw, genuinely grateful and almost speechless.

Nick still felt the cheetah's gaze on his back as he walked away.

 _Sheesh, he keeps staring at me as if I were Coyan the Barkbarian, or something…_ the amused fox snorted in spirit.

Over by the coffee machine, he noticed a familiar sight. It was a young rabbit, dressed as a cop, pretending not to notice him as he approached.

Standing right behind her back, Nick cleared his throat.

"You wouldn't happen to have a quarter on you, _lieutenant?_ " asked the female officer.

"Why, it just happens that I do…" he answered, passing her the coin. "… _lieutenant._ "

She then bought herself a latte and, holding the cup in her paw, turned to face him.

"Your fur smells like an ashtray."

"Well, _your_ fur smells like dinner."

A slap on the shoulder followed that nasty remark… but that was concluded with a smile.

"It's good to see you're back in the saddle, partner," said Judy.

"It's good to be back," Nick answered her, grinning. "Are ya doing a good job at hunting those dang carnivores?"

"A better one than you at hunting prey, thankfully."

They hugged, and then the fox also bought his customary triple espresso for himself. He was really glad to see his rabbit friend again. They've been working separately since the day they were freed from _Butcher's Den_ , and each member of the duo had been very busy, trying to focus on their duties in order to forget all the terrible things which had happened to them there. Or, if not to forget, at least not to think about it.

Finally, they were together again. And although they knew perfectly well that nothing would be the same ever again, they hoped that eachother's presence, just as it had before, would help them to overcome their personal flaws and limitations.

"Guess who sent us flowers," Nick said to his partner, giving the rabbit the note which was attached to the bouquet of roses.

Examining the piece of paper curiously, lieutenant Hopps almost instantly gasped.

"It's from _Mathilda!_ " she realized. "Wow, she must have heard all about what happened by now."

" _Uh-huh_ ," Nick nodded in affirmation. "I hope she's feeling a bit better. I prefer to receive flowers than bullets to the brain."

" _Hmm._ You sure the bullet would even hit anything if she really fired her gun that time?"

"Oh, you're just asking to be bitten again, aren't you?"

They quickly quit their mutual teasing, however, as a whole herd of other police officers ran up to them to congratulate Nick for his achievements. As the fox shook paws and received painful pats on the back from his huge fellow law enforcers, he tried to look at Judy in a way as to indicate to her that he didn't feel completely comfortable with receiving the praise which should really be attributed to her… But the rabbit just continued to laugh, showing that she did not mind that at all.

Suddenly, the crowd of officers fell silent and parted as the booming hoofsteps of their chief were heard. They made way for the buffalo, who stood before the fox and crossed his arms.

"Lieutenant Wilde," Bogo uttered with a stern look.

"Yeah, I know, I know…" Nick mumbled submissively, taking his shades off and beginning to button up his shirt.

But then, suddenly, his boss stooped down and stopped him from doing that by grabbing his arm. The stumped fox glared at him, perplexed…

"What I do now?" he inquired.

"You're still asking that?" Bogo narrowed his eyes. And then, he smiled with pure joy. "You've saved the reputation of the whole ZPD! Not only did you and your partner stop that horrid club of carnivores. Now, after all the press releases with you involved, we finally don't have mammals of all shapes and sizes roaring outside our doors, and we can focus on the job of bringing the guilty to justice! I've already said this after promoting you, and I want to say this again- we are all proud to have you as part of our team. Everyone, please give lieutenants Wilde and Hopps a big hand!"

Applauded by their colleagues, Nick and Judy stood stupefied.

"Wow. I didn't expect that, especially from Bogo…" the rabbit whispered to her partner, smiling awkwardly.

"I get what you mean. It only took fifteen days of sitting in a cage, almost starving to death, being held at gunpoint a few times... and stopping _the_ largest carnivorist outbreak in a hundred years... for him to show a little appreciation," the fox mumbled back.

"Fine! I think that's enough!" the buffalo raised his arm in order to make everyone settle down, reassuming his serious attitude. "This case isn't over yet, and we still have clandestine carnivores walking the streets in broad daylight. So back to work!"

"That's more like it!" sneered lieutenant Wilde, taking a sip from his coffee cup.

The animals stampeded into the bullpen and took their spots. Judy was smiling happily when she finally had her friend sitting by her side again.

Chief Bogo stood at his pulpit, a thick file in his grasp, and put on his glasses.

"Right," he began. "As the judges are dealing with those flesh eaters whom we've already managed to locate, I trust you are aware, as all of the city seems to be, that many fugitives are still on the loose. We don't know how many there are, but we must keep our eyes open and investigate every last crevice. Society is counting on us. And so: officers Grizzoli, Snarlov and Andersen, you continue with your investigation in Tundratown. McHorn, Delgato- Sahara Square. Fangmeyer, Jackson- Rainforest District. Wolfard, Pennington, Krumpansky- Savanna Central. Wilde, Hopps-…"

" _Parking duty!_ " both lieutenants said at the same time, themselves surprised by how in sync they were.

"I beg your pardon?!" Bogo took off his glasses and glared at the duo in amazement. Then, he breathed out through his nostrils angrily. "I'm surprised you two are still in the mood for nonsensical buffoonery after what you've been through…"

"No, that's not it!" Judy stammered uneasily. "I mean, chief. Remembering what happened the last time Nick and I went on a mission together, I thought that we could, you know…"

The buffalo raised a brow.

"What, get a _lighter_ assignment? Lieutenant Hopps, I did not promote you and your partner so that you could go back to writing parking tickets! That's not what we're paying you for!"

"Well, it's not like we're not grateful for the raise you gave us," the fox entered the conversation, smiling slyly. "But you've gotta admit that we kinda earned that, plus more. What was the exact phrase you used? That we've _saved the reputation of the whole ZPD_? I'm sure that one day of rest would be an even greater proof of your gratitude."

"Do not attempt to enchant me with your vulpine erudition, Wilde!" Bogo was becoming increasingly irritated. "I'm not some nit-witted journalist who'll eat up everything you wave before his nose."

"Oh, I never said anything like that!" Nick continued with a smirk. "And I also didn't say that by saying we want to take care of parking duty, we meant that literally. There's gotta be something else Judy and I can do around here. You know, we still wanna be useful!"

Seeing how the duo of lieutenants gazed at him innocently and pleadingly, but also that the expressions on the rest of the officers' faces indicated that they were on their side, the buffalo finally sighed, yielding to their request.

"Very well! You get _one day_ to work here, at the station. I initially planned to send you two to lead the infiltration of the Mystic Springs Oasis for any possible carnivores who may still be hanging around over there, knowing you are familiar with that place, Wilde. But if you haven't had enough rest while lying in your hospital bed, then suit yourself."

After that announcement, Nick turned to his partner, grinning.

"Sure you don't wanna change your mind?" he proposed.

"Don't even think about it!" the rabbit staunchly protested.

"Right. It's the archives for you, then," their chief announced to them finally. "The database needs to be updated eventually, and since Clawhauser's busy answering calls from concerned citizens and vindictive prey animals accusing their predator neighbors of being carnivores for no reason, I guess you can take care of that for him today. In other words, _shake your tails and_ _get to work!_ "

Happy about their much lighter, although boring, duty for the day, Nick and Judy made their way to the archive room. Then, carrying huge files which came from the courthouses that dealt with the individual members of _Butcher's Den_ who have already been caught and tried, they stumbled into the computer room in order to add the new information to the ZPD's database.

"Tonight on _To catch a predator_ …" sneered the fox, gazing at the tall stack of documents which were lying on the desk.

"Why don't you go ahead and take a seat?" his partner proposed, picking up the joke.

"Don't mind if I do, Chris Haresen."

Grinning, Nick then read what was written on the cover of the binder. " _The case of Bucher's Den. Classified._ Seems like a lot of Fangley's former pals have already been sentenced, haven't they?"

"Up to date, we've apprehended 48 predators," Judy informed her partner dutifully, logging into the ZPD mainframe. The fox knew perfectly that she herself was responsible for finding many of them while he was away, most likely to clear her conscience from the burdening feeling of being guilty for this whole mess in the first place.

The female officer continued.

"Since Fangley, Woodsworth, and two others were killed at the factory, one suspect hanged himself in his cell… and another one was lynched by a mob in Ferndale… that leaves us with 42 separate cases for today. Those are only the files of the members of _Butcher's Den_. We won't have time for their many associates, like the owners of funeral homes who sold dead bodies to them as carrion…"

Her partener's ears fell when he heard what the total result of the investigation was… and not only because of the sudden deaths of some of the carnivores. What shocked him even more was that only so few of them have already been caught. Both him and Judy saw at least 70 predators at their monthly gathering back at _Butcher's Den_.

The rabbit, however, seemed unfazed by any of that, demonstrating a completely professional approach. Then Nick understood that, although they were both lieutenants now, Judy was still the more experienced one of them. Or, perhaps, to a certain degree, she was simply driven by a justified desire for revenge? He couldn't tell.

"Uh, how about you take care of the typing, Carrots?" he suggested. "You must be sick and tired of looking at all these papers."

"What I'm sick and tired of is looking at the faces of these beasts…" she growled back, tapping the floor with her foot. She then pulled up an office chair to the screen of the computer, her paws hanging ready over the keyboard.

"Okay. Who's first?" she asked.

Nick opened the thick file of the case and took the first page out of it. It had the stamp of the Zootopia Central Criminal Court, and an attached mugshot of a Doberman Pinscher.

"Arf, Barry. Age: 35. Species: Canis familiaris." Nick read the name on the document aloud as Judy typed. "Hey! Wait a minute! The second one must belong to his twin brother."

The fox then grabbed the next report. It was almost identical.

"Yup, I was right. Larry Arf. Age: also 35. Everything's basically the same from then on."

"What are their charges?" Judy inquired curiously.

"Well, they were both clearly hunters," her partner estimated from the contents of the documents. "5 separate charges of first-degree murder for each one of them, plus habitual carnivorism, participation in a criminal syndicate, participation in crimes against the animal kingdom, specieist hatred… and, in case of Barry, armed assault of a police officer. In total, probably enough for about five death sentences per capita. Their court hearing is due on October 19th."

He finished reading with a slight smirk of satisfaction on his face. His partner, completely preoccupied with her work, entered all of the information into the computer archive.

"Okay, that's it for the Arf brothers," she said finally, indicating to Nick that he should carry on.

"This is getting interesting!" said the fox, taking another sip of coffee and stretching himself out comfortably in his chair. "Hey, guess who's next! It's our friendly jackal porter, Mr. Kane De Silva. Aged: 31. Species: Sylvilagus audubonii."

"Ha-ha. Very funny," Judy snorted mockingly, recognizing the binomen which actually belonged to her own species. "Did you learn to pronounce that just in order to make this joke? Kane's definitely more closely related to a _Vulpes_ than any _Sylvilagus_ … But I'd guess that he was most likely a Canis aureus."

"Sylvilagus, Kanosaurus, whatever…" said Nick. "Good job, Lieutenant Nerd. Whoa! This is a surprise! Says here that Mr. De Silva was actually _not_ a hunter at all!"

"Yup. I believe Lawrence said the same thing during his interrogation," the rabbit admitted.

"Anyway, he was still charged with habitual carnivorism, participation in a criminal syndicate, taking part in genocide, and specieist hatred. He got twenty years for that, without parole, and he's gonna spend them at the good ol' dog pound at 1313 Stripes Ave."

"The Zootopia Central Metropolitan Penitentiary," Judy corrected him while typing in the proper name of the institution. "I hear they don't take kindly to carnivores there…"

"Well, too bad for Mr. De Silva for the next 20 years," Nick threw Kane's file on the side of the desk casually. "Next. Oh, it's Lawrence Vulpine himself! Species: Vulpes vulpes, obviously. Turns out our reluctant young traitor is only 19 years old. After testifying against his former colleagues, he got out with only a three-year sentence, suspended for six months, for carnivorism and having been a bad guy. This is very lightweight, especially that he'd been guilty of petty theft and fraud on several occasions as a juvenile… Hm, he kinda reminds me of myself, actually. Well, except for this- he has to register as a carnivore for the next fifteen years. He's on the witness protection program, and lives under an assumed name, but he'll definitely have a hard time finding a legal job after people find out he used to eat meat."

The fox sighed, meditation on the impossibility of leading a crime-free life for some of the members of his species… He didn't think about that for two long, however, as Judy, who had no such qualms, was waiting for him to continue.

"Okay," the male officer reached for another file. "Hey, here's another familiar face!"

Now he himself started feeling a desire for vengeance, as the mugshot revealed to him the image of his former accomplice.

"It's Chase, that double-crossing pelt salesman!" he exclaimed, overjoyed that the one who'd almost gotten him killed years ago was now behind bars. "Chase E. Quiote, alias 'Lester Howland III'. Species: Canis latrans, aged 40. So he was just a carrion eater, after all. Charges: fraud, money laundering, illegal trade of animal remains… and, of course, tax evasion. Yeah, I remember all of that. Plus, the usual- carnivorism, genocide, species hate crimes. His trial took place last Monday, and his sentence adds up to a lovely total of 45 years behind bars, without parole. By the time he's out, if he ever is, he'll have to hire someone else to chew his food for him."

"I'm guessing you're not upset because of that," the rabbit turned to him, snorting in amusement. "Could you, by chance, just read the contents of the files? I'm having trouble separating the actual facts from your commentary."

"Sorry, I can't help it…" her partner answered her. Then he picked up another document. " _Dang!_ Carrots, look at this one!"

"Huntswell, Brenda," Judy read aloud after taking the piece of paper from him. "Wow, that is one nasty mugshot…"

"Well, her face was never a picnic to begin with," the fox cussed, eager to find out about the fate of their most hated guard. "Says our ferocious Felis concolor's maiden name is Screwtail. She's 53, and had been married to a mountain lion by the name of Charles Huntswell. Her husband passed away twelve years ago, and Brenda was accused of poisoning him. She was acquitted then, due to lack of evidence… but it looks like her latest trial is already over. Apart from the usual, she was found guilty of 12 separate cases of murder, three cases of assaulting an officer, including both of us, with the result of serious injury, plus attempting to deter a police investigation, money laundering, various types of financial fraud… darn, the list just goes on and on! Her total sentence is: seven death penalties via lethal injection, 560 years behind bars… and a modest fine of 15 million bucks."

"The fate of the accountant of a criminal syndicate," sighed the female officer, though her voice was completely bereft of any remorse. "Formatting the hard drives did not help her much… When's her execution due?"

"Last Saturday…" Nick mumbled in astonishment, picking up a protocol attached to Brenda's file.

" _Really?_ She's dead already?!" Judy wondered.

"Well, they took care of her fast…" estimated the fox. "She was put to sleep at 6 PM, and declared dead at 6:23. For her last meal, she requested _rabbit stew_. Of course, all she got was a bugburger and fries…"

Judy almost laughed out loud, although the situation was rather dark.

"Rabbit Stu? You're telling me she wanted to eat my dad?"

"Oh yeah, your father's name _is_ Stu… Rabbit Stu. _Hmf_ , all those puns are going to kill me someday!"

Seeing that her partner was not in the mood for dark humor, the rabbit decided to get back to work.

"Give me the protocol of the sentence, I need to scan it," she requested.

After handing the document to her, Nick looked at the pile of files, which was still enormous… This was to be a long day, after all. Flipping through the papers briefly, he looked at the sentences their guards have received.

"Burns, Tigon. Death penalty. Manendes, Leonardo. Death. Clawford, Bearnard. Lethal injection. Jason and Clara Prider, the lions we saw hunting the lamb in Fangley's recording... L-I for both. L-I here, L-I there… Dang. I know stern law is better than no law, but they're gonna run out of tranquilizer at this rate…"

Suddenly, the fox silenced. Lifting up a file in front of his face, he attracted his partner's attention.

"Who's that?" Judy asked.

"Julia Fangley, née Vixey. Aged 37…" Nick read gloomily.

"Oh yes, the bloody vixen herself."

The male officer, himself a fox, couldn't help but feel sorry for Butcher's widow. The expression she bore on her mugshot was one of limitless sorrow…

But then, as he read her charges, he remembered who she really was.

"Says here Julia was a hunter. And a skilled one, at that… She was accused of at least 20 murders, and confessed of having committed 11. She's from Ferndale, so she was tried by the Horne County judge. She'll be executed next month… and it appears that the method of execution over there is by firing squad. That's the first time a female will be shot in that county in 40 years..."

"She'll join her mate in _death_ , in that case," the rabbit lieutenant said coldly, in a way which surprised even her partner. She then changed the tone of her voice somewhat, as if in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry about her son, though…"

"Yeah, I am too…" mumbled Nick.

He then gave Judy Julia Fangley's sentence to scan. As she did that, he quickly searched the remaining files, looking for the picture of another fox… When he did not find it, he was greatly relieved.

They worked like that until late in the afternoon, without a break. Finally, when all of the 42 cases were typed into the database, exhausted both physically and mentally, the duo of officers exited the archives, deciding to call it a day.

"Oh, you're done!" Clawhauser exclaimed as he noticed them returning to the lobby. "Thank you both so, so much for that! I also had to work overtime today. My back is killing me…"

"How did the others do?" Judy asked the cheetah, rubbing her blood-shot eyes.

"Oh, good. I mean, relatively. Most of the guys came back about an hour ago, with empty paws… There was a brawl at a bar in the Rainforest District, however, and Fangmayer and Jackson are still stuck investigating…"

Suddenly, another animal entered the station. It was a beaver dressed in a courier's outfit.

"Uh, hello?" he asked, unsure which of the officers he should speak to.

"Yes, my friend?" Clawhauser assumed a tired, yet sincere smile. "What can we do for you?"

"I'm lookin' for a… _Nicholas P. Wilde_?" the mammal said after checking his clipboard.

Surprised to hear his name, Nick turned away from smelling Mathilda's roses and approached the courier.

"That's me. What, is there a package for me or something?"

" _Ha!_ " the amused beaver chuckled. "Much more than a _package_ … Do you have any identification I could see?"

"He's got plenty of business cards!" Judy joked, approaching them, herself curious about what her friend had just received.

Certainly, Nick had a whole bunch of cards… but none with his own name on them. Choosing the obvious solution, he showed the beaver his police badge.

"Alright, Lieutenant," said the animal after confirming the fox's identity. "Follow me."

"Huh? Do you mean to tell me that this thing is _outside_?" he inquired with growing confusion.

The courier said nothing more, laughing mysteriously. Nick and Judy followed him through the doors of the police station, but to their surprise, he did not lead them to his van. He walked around the building and to the parking lot…

… where there stood a huge tow truck, right about done with unloading a new car.

The car was a red Stallion Firebird Convertible.

As soon as Nick saw the vehicle, his jaw fell and his eyes went wide… Standing on the asphalt in awe, he thought that he was dreaming.

"Oh wow!" Judy skipped over to examine the car. "Is this really for Nick?"

"Yup," answered the courier, glaring at it in envy. "He just needs to sign the receipt. As soon as he wakes up, that is."

His partner had to literally pull the fox's sleeve in order to make him move again. Only then did he laugh out loud.

" _Haha!_ Uh, but how's this possible?! That's not my old car, it can't be! This one must be brand new! Who's it from?"

The beaver showed Nick his clipboard.

"See here? _Sender unknown_. Now, if you would please sign on the dotted line, officer Wilde. I got a home I need to go to, you know."

Still basically petrified, the fox took the pen in his shaking paw. After he was done writing, the courier reached into his pocket and handed him something.

"Your keys, and your registration. The baby's all yours. Drive safely." He then shouted at the driver of the tow truck before leaving himself: "Take 'er away, Harold!"

Left alone with Judy and the Convertible, Nick pounced toward his shiny new vehicle, still unable to believe how lucky he was.

"I guess serving the people of Zootopia does pay off…" the rabbit said to him, impressed.

Smiling like a kit during Christmas, Nick ran all around the car, admiring the chrome rims, the shiny crimson paintjob, the smell of brand new leather on the interior…

… and then he froze.

"Wait a minute! _Wait a minute!_ " he exclaimed in utter outrage. "What the heck is _this_ supposed to be?!"

"What?" Judy asked him, surprised. "You don't like it?"

"I _love it!_ It's just these darn front seats… they're both different!"

The rabbit gazed into the vehicle and saw that he was saying the truth. The passenger seat was covered with a slick orange artificial leather, which she liked because it reminded her of carrots. But the driver's seat had a strange black fur on it…

"What is that?" she asked, sniffing. "It smells kinda weird…"

Putting his paws on his hips and hanging his head, Nick suddenly noticed something else about the car…

And that made him laugh so much that he almost lost his breath. His partner looked at him, perplexed as she observed the fox sitting down on the ground in front of the bumper…

"What _is it?_ " she narrowed her eyes.

Unable to speak, wheezing to catch his breath, Nick pointed toward the license plate…

When Judy looked at it, she saw that it read: 5KUNK 8U77.

Then she understood.

"The driver's seat… it's covered with the fur from a skunk's butt, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah…" her partner cackled, standing up from the asphalt and wiping the tears from his eyes. "… a-and you know what that means, right…"

"It means that… this car is from Mr. Big!" after she realized that, she started laughing herself. " _Haha!_ Well, he must be thankful to you for eliminating a dangerous rival… You should be happy! That means he must have forgiven you for your old mistake!"

"Yeah, good job again, Lieutenant Nerd…" the fox continued to grin as he opened the door of his new Stallion. "… we all got our _sweet revenge_ , didn't we? Alright, enough of this. Hop in!"

"Where're we going?" the rabbit asked, surprised by her partner's proposition.

"Well, we're done with work for today, right? I still gotta take you to that shooting range. C'mon, let's get there while they're still open. I guess the carrot-colored spot is reserved for you."

"Doesn't this mean that this is actually _our_ car?" she inquired smugly while fastening her seatbelt.

"Ey, look at the registration! It says _Nicholas P. Wilde_ , okay?"

"Fine, fine! Red isn't my favorite color, anyway…"

The fox then reached out to open the glove box, and put both his documents and wallet inside. Leter he took the pack of Mareboro Strongs from the pocket of his uniform, and placed it there, as well. Once he did that, Judy noticed that something fell out of his shirt and landed on the floor.

When she picked up the piece of paper, Nick flinched.

"Hm…" mumbled the rabbit, reading what was on the business card. " _Fangley Industries, Inc_. _Oscar Fangley, Manager. 537 Parrot Street, Ferndale, Horn County._ Are you keeping this as a souvenir? Or as a hunting trophy?"

Snatching the card from her paw, the fox threw it into the glove box, and then quickly closed it.

"Y-yeah, something like that…" he stammered awkwardly. "I just don't wanna look at it right now…"

Little did Judy know that this little piece of paper was actually more than just one of Oscar Fangley's old business cards. Her partner was thankful that she didn't see the other side of it.

There, written in a fancy cursive, was the name and phone number of miss Scarlet Vixey.

Nick still couldn't make out if she came to him on her own that day, or if it was all just part of her brother-in-law's plan. However, he felt that, perhaps someday, he would want to find out. Only then would he make up his mind whether to turn her in, or not.

Starting the engine of his Convertible, which made his think happy thoughts again in spite of the fact that he was sitting on the fur from a skunk's behind, he put on his sunglasses and turned toward his partner.

"So, you ready to go shoot some bullseyes, Carrots?"

"Sure!" she smiled back at him. "I hope you're prepared to lose!"

Then, reaching out with her paw, she turned on the radio and began looking for an appropriate station. To Nick's surprise, she picked one that played gospel music.

"What, no Gazelle today?" he inquired with a smirk.

"Nah, who can listen to that stuff over and over all the time… I'm still a country girl, after all," the rabbit responded in a fake hick accent. "You got a problem with Elvis Pawsley, city boi?"

"No. No problem at all…" said Nick, hitting the gas.

As they drove away toward the setting sun, the interior of the Stallion was filled with the smooth low tones of the King's voice, which soothed the pair of officers' tired minds and wounded hearts.

 _Well the bear will be gentle, and the wolves will be tame,_

 _And the lion shall lay down by the lamb,_

 _And the beasts from the wild shall be led by a child_

 _And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am._

* * *

THE END

* * *

 **AN: A kind of bitter-sweet ending, in'it? A bit more gruesome than in _Zootopia Crime Files_. Hey, but the case was far more serious than any of those in the game, too XD Such is the work of a law enforcer- _protect the children of the poor and punish the wrongdoer._ They must keep a professional attitude, even toward death.  
**

 **A word of postscript, in case you're interested (if not, you can just skip it). The whole motif of the story is the struggle between two forces: instinct, and reason. The characters of Zootopia are animals, which makes things even more complicated, yet their anthropomorphism makes it possible for the events to be comparable to human life. Any human is also stuck in between two powers which try to influence his will: his low, purely animalistic instincts (or passions), and his reason (or conscience). Countless times, we have to make decissions about which of these we should follow. This is why some people become saints, while others- beasts. And no matter how terrible a beast one becomes, he will still be trying to justify his acts as 'normal', or 'purely human' (like Oscar Fangley).**

 **The moral of this story, however, is that the lowest instincts need to be overcome by reason, lest we start devouring one another. As a wise man once said:** _ **luminous beings are we, not this crude matter!  
**_

 **In Zootopia, this is a great problem. Even acknowledging the fact that the predators there may still have some beast in them, threatens the very basis of its foundation. But their attempt to ignore that fact is, as I see it, purely hypocritical. After all, even in the movie, we still see weasels being shifty and wolves unable to do anything about their compulsive howling. And this is why _Butcher's Den_ was created- as a sort of rebellion against the assumed politically correct social order. Now, after the hideous truth was exposed, the terrified populace needs another predator, a reformed one like Nick, to prove to them that not everyone is as corrupt.  
**

 **Nick and Judy are greatly put to the test here. Especially the fox (the one of the duo on whom I deliberately focused most of the narration), who's obviously a predator, and has a lust for flesh imprinted in his DNA, even though it may be dormant most of the time. But, as you were able to see, _both_ of the characters give in to their low instincts at some point. For Nick, it is obviously when he steals Kane's meat. True, he did that partially to get out of his cage... Does that fully remove his guilt, however? You be the judge. His conscience will deffinitely keep bugging him. As for Judy... Well, she is the voice of reason throughout most of the story, but when she sees the opportunity for revenge, she keeps her mouth shut when the sheriff basically shoots Fangley dead at a point-blank range. She also has no second thoughts about leading the cases of the individual carnivores, knowing full well that most of them will be put to sleep, i. e., executed. Unlikely for a cute little bunny? Think about it. Remember how Judy dealt with the parking tickets? _Relentlessly._ She's as lawful as it gets, but when it comes to getting the job done, she has no second thoughts about using all means necessary. It is possible, in my opinion, that in a case as serious as this one, she'd have been ruthless. Perhaps even merciless. _Hell hath no fury like a woman_ (or _female_ ) _scorned,_ no matter the species. Her name is _Judith_ , after all. The guilt she herself feels may also fuel her zeal to eradicate every last flesh eater in Zootopia.  
**

 **In case of Nick, the situation is different. He actually feels compassion toward his fellow predators, as he can understand what a temptation the natural hunger they feel is, even if he still condemns them for yielding to it. This compassion is especially extended toward a certain _special_ carnivore- Scarlet Vixey. Nick knows the police didn't get to her yet, but he does not expose her. What will he do with her phone number later? I don't know. He may just throw it away, eventually. He may also call her, and maybe try to convince her to change her way of thinking. Perhaps, if he succeeds, they'll end up in a relationship? Maybe even take care of the poor orphan, Ezra Fangley? Or could something completely different happen, where Scarlet convinces Nick to return to eating meat? **

**Those are all speculations for another story, however. As is the fate of those carnivores who have _not_ yet been apprehended.  
**

 **So, in conclusion, Judy was right in her speech at the end of the movie- real life is messy, we all have limitations, we all make mistakes. But, all in all, each one of us _is_ capable of choosing the right way instead of the wrong. We are not genetically predisposed to become beasts. Although Nick and Judy's scars will remain forever, their ultimate triumph is also rewarded- by a promotion, by the gratitude of the masses, by a new car... But, most importantly, by knowing that they, as police officers and sentient beings, have chosen the way of light when the path of darkness stood wide open before them. The hope for that to be attainable to anyone is what the verses of the song at the end are a symbol of.**

* * *

 **Ok, enough of the philosophical gobbledygook XD Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, faving, and your continued support! Not all readers persevered to the very end of this weird story, but congratulations to those who did.  
**

 **Check out the alternate ending, as well. Plus, if you liked this story, there's a sequel to it, called 'An Aftertaste of Blood', which follows this version of the final chapter. See you there! XD  
**


	22. Chapter 17 BETA - Alternative ending

**AN:** _ **Attention please!**_

 **Okay. You want it- you've got it! This chapter is an _alternate_ , yet not equivalent ending to **_**The Case of Butcher's Den**_ **. That is to say, I recognize the first as original, and this one is added just for fun/literary purposes. It is an AU,** _ **what if**_ **type of concept.**

 **I would not want this scenario to actually happen, and I do not think that it is very probable that it would. I do not condone the actions and decisions undertaken by the characters. This version follows the more** _ **noir**_ **, or dark theme of the story, so if you're not in the mood for macabre at the moment, or if it would spoil your view of this story and its original outcome, don't read it. Or perhaps read it next Halloween.**

 **Now, if you still want to continue, imagine that chapters 17-21 _never happened_ , and all the carnivores are still alive. I suggest you re-read chapter 16 (or even some of the earlier ones) before continuing to put yourself in the right mood.**

* * *

 **ALTERNATE ENDING – Chapter 17** _ **Beta**_

He woke up panting, and at first everything was dark. He knew that it was a nightmare that terminated his slumber, but he couldn't recall what exactly he dreamt of. Turning around in panic, he tried to recognize where he was.

Then, slowly, he began to realize that the darkness was simply the result of being blinded by the light of an incandescent lamp. Calming down a bit, he found himself in bed, inside a poorly-furnished room with no windows. The ceiling fan was whirring, and an electronic clock on top of a shelf by his bedside showed five-to-seven AM.

Suddenly, a door on the other side of the room opened, and he strained his aching muscles to lift himself up and see who was about to enter. The animal, which gasped as soon as he saw him awake, was a male cat with a milky-white pelt, dressed in a simple shirt and pants.

"Mr. Wilde!" uttered the astonished feline. "I'm so glad to see you awake, finally!"

He then approached the fox's bed. Nick himself, however, was feeling very nauseous and confused. Looking up at the visitor with his tired, narrowed eyes, he asked him in a whisper:

"Am I… in jail?"

In response to that unusual inquiry, the cat chuckled merrily.

" _Ha!_ Goodness no, of course not! Where'd you get that idea from?"

The fox took a look around, noticing that he was hooked up to an IV. His right paw was all covered in bandages. He was wearing his old shirt, but the buttons had been sewed back on. Plus, someone had also washed his clothes.

"Is this a hospital…?" he mumbled again, unable to understand why speaking caused him so much difficulty.

The feline by his bedside continued to grin mysteriously.

"That's not it, either. You're still in _Butcher's Den_. This is one of the living quarters in the basement- they're used when the workers need to stay overnight," he explained, looking at Nick with concern afterward. "Don't you remember anything?"

"Bits and pieces…" the fox groaned and turned his head when the cat attempted to touch his forehead. He then immediately felt a strong pain, both in his head and in his stomach. " _Ugh!_ Who are you, anyway?"

"Don't you recognize me? Ah yes, we were never properly introduced… My name is doctor Rooford Katzenhaus. I'm a veterinarian. I've been taking care of you for the past two days, Mr. Wilde."

Straining his eyes, Nick indeed saw that the feline's face was familiar. He then remembered the carnivorists' monthly rally, and one of the rookie new members who stood on top of the platform by Oscar Fangley's side, embarrassed of being naked in front of so many other animals.

"Yeah, I recognize you…" he moaned, collapsing on top of his pillow. And then something else reached him. "But, two days…? Why have I been asleep for so long?"

The vet, now looking seriously troubled, rubbed his chin and asked:

"What's the last thing you can remember, Mr. Wilde? Do you remember… your hunt?"

 _The hunt…_ Nick whimpered internally. _So the nightmares are real, after all…!_

"I… I remember how it started…" he stammered, dark thought flooding his mind as he attempted to bring back his last murky memories. "I remember that I lurked, hiding… and how I ran… how I ran after… _Uhh!_ "

A painful groan issuing from his throat, the fox covered his face with his only good paw. Then, turning toward the cat in despair, he uttered:

"Doc, you gotta tell me what the hell happened! Were you there? Please… What did I… _what did I do?!_ "

"Calm down, Mr. Wilde! Everything is okay!" Katzenhaus said soothingly, putting a paw on his injured right arm. "I weren't there in person, but the other employees told me everything. They said it was quite a spectacle…"

Gazing at the cat with eyes wide open, the fox pricked up his ears, awaiting a terrible announcement.

"I've heard you cornered your prey like an experienced hunter," continued the vet. "Even Butcher himself was impressed. The rabbit did not give up without a fight, however… The others, who watched the whole hunt in the surveillance room, told me that, just before you bit into her windpipe, _she_ bit you on your left ear. I-I did what I could, but I'm afraid that you're missing a piece of your earlobe…"

Nick quickly lifted his left paw to his ear and noticed that, indeed, the whole thing was swaddled in bandages… along with most of his head.

"What then?" he hurried the vet's relation.

" _Then_ … well, then that rabbit kicked you in the face. Whence the black eye, which you're probably unable to see for yourself. You will though, as soon as you look into the mirror."

The fox cursed internally…

" _And then?!_ " he growled at the cat, who bit his lip and frowned rather sadly.

"Uhm, I don't know how it happened… The other guys told me that she was lying by a tool rack or something... Anyway, before you were able to attack her again, your prey managed to find a wrench… She hit you on the head with it, and once on the jaw. I don't know if you've noticed, but your lower left fang is chipped… We're going to have to get you to a dentist, eventually."

Nick inspected the tooth mentioned by Katzenhaus with his tongue. Indeed, half of it was missing. The left side of his face was swollen, and he discovered that to be the reason why he couldn't speak properly.

"Is _that_ when I passed out?" he inquired, a dim light of hope still burning inside of him.

Unfortunately, hearing his question, the vet just laughed out loud.

" _Hahaha!_ No, of course not! Those blows only made you more angry! You pounced at the prey with doubled zeal, yet even the larger carnivores agreed that this was no ordinary bunny…"

"She was first in her class at the Police Academy," Nick mumbled, staring at the wall.

"Well, she definitely was a fighter," the cat agreed. "Your struggle with her lasted for several minutes. Although I didn't see it, your injuries clearly indicated that to me as soon as I arrived after Butcher called for my assistance…"

"Is she dead?" the fox then cut him off, piercing the feline with a glare.

Startled by his patient's behavior, Katzenhaus just stood there for a couple of seconds. Then, he answered:

"Yes, most definitely. She didn't stand a chance, ultimately, especially after you knocked the wrench out of her paw. The crafty critter still managed to bite you on the arm before your teeth finally reached her neck. I had to make sixteen stitches to patch you up! She also broke one of your ribs during the fight… but it weren't your injuries that made you lose your consciousness."

Feeling his paws clasping the sheets as his stomach ache suddenly increased severely, Nick muttered a final question through clenched fangs.

" _What was it, then?_ "

The vet snorted, crossing his arms.

"It was all the meat you ate! Of course, once they saw that your hunt was successful, the others didn't have the heart to interrupt you feast… They should have, however. You'd been through too long a starvation diet for your stomach to be able to digest so much solid food at once. You almost suffered an intestinal volvulus! The guys panicked when they saw you regurgitating, and called for me. Before I drove all the way to Ferndale from home, however, you were already out cold. If I were there earlier, I'd make sure you weren't as voracious…"

Halting, Katzenhaus noticed that the fox was sitting on his bed with his head hung low, hollow eyes and shaking paws.

"Are you… going to be okay, Mr. Wilde?" the vet asked, alarmed.

He didn't get an answer.

The cat remained there for several more minutes, but after making sure that his patient was doing relatively well on a physical level, just not really in the mood to chat, he shrugged and pointed at a pitcher of water and a covered platter which stood on the shelf by the bedside.

"You were very dehydrated, so you need to drink a lot of fluids," he announced. "You've also lost about one-fourth of your entire body mass. I've been feeding you with nutrient drips, but eventually you'll have to get your system accustomed to proper food again. There's meat on that platter. You can eat some… but _don't_ swallow it all at once! If you feel sick again, there are garbage bags underneath your bed. Try not to make a mess… I'll check on you in a couple of hours."

Turning away, doctor Katzenhaus walked toward the door, and exited the room. As soon as Nick could sense that the feline was nowhere near anymore, he closed his eyes, and ground his fangs.

" _Ahh, yiff it all!_ " he growled, feeling as his sharp claws tore holes in the sheets.

There was no turning back for him anymore. He'd fallen into Oscar Fangley's trap. He may have been out from behind bars, but even if he ran through the doors of his room and through the front gate of _Fangley Industries_ right now, he'd have nowhere to go… Not after what he did. Even if he returned to Zootopia, even if he reported the whereabouts of _Butcher's Den_ to the ZPD, he wouldn't be able to explain where he'd lost his partner. And then, standing before the judges, Fangley would tell the whole truth. And they'd probably soon end up in the same execution chamber.

A face flashed in his memory only for a while. A memory of a voice, and of purple eyes…

Shaking with a furious growl, he opened his eyes again, looking for a target to aim his anger at. Gazing at the shelf on the side of his bed, he saw his neatly folded tie, a clock, a water pitcher, a platter with food on it…

At first he wanted to throw all of that to the floor. But then, he hesitated. What would he see, what would he smell if he uncovered the meat…?

Sniffing the air, he did not detect the scent of a rabbit, however.

Then, he noticed something else. Some kind of an envelope lay underneath the platter. Opening his clenched fists, he let go of the sheet, and stretched out his good arm toward the shelf.

The envelope bore the emblem of _Fangley Industries_. Inside of it, Nick found two pieces of paper. One of them had the Carnivore Principles, the predator supremacists' Decalogue which he'd seen during their rally, written on it. Probably to remind him of the rules he was now himself obliged to follow.

The second sheet was even more familiar. It was a flyer, identical with that which chief Bogo had given to him, with pictures of a carrot, a rabbit, and a fox. The food chain which was now complete. On the other side of it were the printed out words:

CONGRATULATIONS, NICHOLAS!

THE MEMBERS OF BUTCHER'S DEN WELCOME YOU AMONGST THEIR RANKS

AND SINCERELY APPOLOGIZE FOR THE INITIAL HARSH TREATMENT

Underneath, in two equal columns, were the hand-written signatures of the carnivores whom he met while in the cage, most of whom were his guards.

 _Kane De Silva. Tigon Burns. Leonardo Manendes. Larry & Barry Arf. Bearnard Clawford. Brenda Huntswell. Lawrence Vulpine. Chase E. Quiote. Robert Woodsworth._

All his grateful _colleagues_. His new _friends_. Even the likes of Chase, who had sold him the skunk butt rug…

Under those, written out with a fancy fountain pen, were the names of all the members of Butcher's family, including the boss himself.

 _Oscar Fangley. Julia Fangley. Ezra Fangley. Scarlet Vixey._

After reading the last name, he sighed heavily.

Then, in a fit of rage, he tore the envelope and its contents to tiny pieces, groaning as he did so. When he was done, he attempted to massage his aching temples with his healthy paw… but his forehead was so densely covered with bumps and stitches that he was forced to abandon that idea.

Thoughts and memories twirled in his skull like a kaleidoscope, and he couldn't force himself to think straight. Finally, feeling sick to the stomach, he poured himself a glass of water and drank it.

And then, he noticed something. His vulpine sense indicated to him that someone was approaching the door from the other side…

Quickly collecting the torn papers that lay all around, he hid them under his blanket. Right on time, as immediately afterwards, he heard the sound of knocking.

"Come in!" he answered automatically, although he didn't really want to see any visitors right now.

What he felt then, and saw afterwards, greatly surprised him.

"Hello? Nicholas? Are you awake?" a female voice called his name merrily.

Into the room, along with her dazzling scent, walked none other than Scarlet Vixey herself. She wasn't wearing her ruby gown, however, but a plain t-shirt and jeans. She still looked fantastic, though, and was smiling sincerely.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, walking up to the foot of his bed. "I've been waiting forever!"

Nick did not look her way, though. Having his arms crossed on his chest, he continued to stare at the wall.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" the young vixen frowned with a staged abashment. When he didn't answer her, however, she assumed a more serious demeanor. "Yes, you've been though a lot, I know… But I want to let you know that I'm happy to see that you're slowly recuperating."

Afterwards, she approached a chair which stood by the wall on the other side of the bed.

"You know, you drool when you sleep," she uttered casually while doing so.

"Yeah? Well, I do much worse things when I'm awake…" the male fox answered her dismissively.

In the corner of his eye, Nick then noticed that she brought a big bag with her.

"What's that?" he inquired in the form of a gloom grunt.

"This is your uniform, Officer Wilde," Scarlet informed him, putting out his blue shirt, pants and tie, all neatly folded, on top of the chair. "You know, I think you look very handsome wearing it. But then again… you also look very handsome when you're _not_ wearing it!"

Suddenly, Nick realized something that made his jaw drop… Scarlet's joke was _not_ a funny one.

"Wait… Were _you_ the one who washed my clothes… a-and put them back on me?"

Glaring at him with a delicate smirk, the vixen nodded.

"Goddamit…" he then sighed in embarrassment, hanging his head.

Walking up to him, Scarlet just shrugged.

"What's the matter? Would you rather have some filthy factory worker take care of you?" she said, putting her paws on her hips. "I've dedicated my time to help dr. Katzenhaus as much as I could. It would at least be nice to hear a _thank you_."

" _Thank you_ ," Nick uttered rather reluctantly, gazing in her green eyes. "Now… who do I have to kill to get a cigarette over here?"

The vixen snorted, turning her head.

"No one, stupid. Not anymore, that is… Gimme a sec, _Nicotine Nick_."

She then made a quick one-eighty, her tail whipping through the air, and exited the room.

Seriously angry, the fox looked at the bag she left behind. There was something at the bottom of it. Reaching out with his good paw, he grabbed an object which was revealed to be…

His police badge.

" _Puh!_ I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful and trustworthy…" he sneered grimly, gazing at his name engraved in the shiny golden metal. "May as well throw this thing into the dumpster now!"

Throwing the badge on the chair where his uniform lay, he noticed that the bag wasn't empty, yet. And this time…

He didn't know whether it was right or not, but for the first time since he woke up, he felt the slightest bit of comfort as he held the car keys to his Stallion Convertible.

As he gazed at them, Scarlet returned with a pack of smokes, a lighter, and an ash tray.

"Ah yes, Robert apologizes for taking those from you earlier," she announced, noticing what he was holding.

"That rotten thief…" hissed the fox, hiding the keys in his pocket and taking the cigarettes from her.

"Don't be so hard on him," she proposed, putting the ash tray on the shelf. "He barely ever drove the car. I hope you like the color silver, though, cause he had the guys repaint it…"

Nick didn't answer, and instead began smoking in silence. After a few moments, the vixen couldn't stand that anymore. Lighting a smoke for herself, she sat at the edge of his bed.

"You know," she said after exhaling, "you should eat something. That IV can only get you so far…"

She attempted to lift the cover of the platter, but Nick stretched out his arm to stop her. Unfortunately, he did that carelessly, and accidentally knocked the dish to the floor. A metallic sound echoed within the room. He then noticed that what lay on the plate was a sandwich, cut in four square pieces, stuffed with what smelled like the meat of some small rodent. Definitely not a rabbit.

Scarlet sent him an exasperated glare…

"Nick, watch out for your cannula! What's the matter with you?" she grumbled, irritated by his behavior.

Unable to fathom how the vixen could even ask him such a question at a time like this, the male bared his fangs.

" _Get outa here!_ " he burst out at her. "Why are you even bothering me? I don't wanna talk to you, or anyone!"

Unfazed by his angry attitude, Scarlet breathed out a big cloud of smoke through her nostrils and crossed her legs. Then, putting the cigarette back in her mouth, she started speaking, as if to herself.

"I know you'll probably say that I'm lying… but I understand. You feel remorse. Your conscience is bothering you so much you can't stop thinking about it. It's normal, everyone has to go through that phase… I myself went through it at one point, too. But I also know another thing- that, right now, I'm probably the only animal you _do_ want to talk to."

Narrowing his eyes, Nick continued to gaze at her in irritation.

"And how do you know that?" he hissed.

Without a word, the vixen lifted her eyes at him, and smiled. Then, she reached into the pocket of his shirt, and pulled out from it one of her brother-in-law's business cards. One that had her phone number on the back of it.

"If you didn't… why would you have kept _this?_ " she then inquired.

Feeling completely confused, Nick stammered.

"I… I don't even know."

As the ash from his cigarette fell on his sheets, the fox issued a desperate yelp. Tears appeared in his eyes, and he covered his bruised face with his paws.

Groaning out loud because of the horrible mental and physical state he was in, he felt another animal's paw fawning the hair on his head…

Flinching, he moved away from Scarlet, who was looking at him with compassion. With a distasteful frown still disfiguring his demeanor, he uttered:

"Fine. Let's talk."

"Alright then," said the vixen, taking back her paw. "For starters, let me ask you a dumb question. How're you doing, Nick?"

Indeed, that _was_ a stupid question. Although he was still on the brink of crying, the fox chuckled desperately.

"How am I doing?! Scarlet, did you even hear about what I did a couple of days ago?! I-I have killed a fellow officer! _My best friend_! I betrayed her, hunted her, choked her to death… and then I ate her flesh. And I enjoyed my meal so much that I threw up!"

His voice trembled as he spoke, and his overall behavior made it seem as if he was rabid or insane. He himself couldn't tell if he _was_ sane or not. The vixen, however, continued to look at him calmly.

"Yes, I saw everything you did through the surveillance cameras," she revealed to him after he was finished. "But… _your best friend_? You've got a cracked rib, a broken fang, you're missing part of your ear… Would your _best friend_ do this to you?"

"Don't try to turn the whole thing around!" Nick yelled at her, sensing that she attempted to use her vulpine smooth-talk. "Your brother-in-law almost starved me to death! And you know damn well that _she_ was just trying to defend herself! _Anyone_ would have done the same! It was _me_ who betrayed her first. Even though she'd once trusted me. Even though she'd helped me…"

"And so she did. No one is denying that," Scarlet continued, shaking off the ash from her smoke. "But that wasn't why you ate her, right?"

"What do you mean?" the male asked, confused.

"Just this. Tell me- why did you eat that bunny?"

He hesitated, as the very act of thinking about it made him feel internal pain. Finally, he stuttered an answer.

"I-I did that because… I was starving. And I wanted to get out of the cage…"

"Exactly!" the vixen smiled. Then she stood up, walked over to the foot of the bed, and stood face to face with the patient. "Now allow me to ask you this, Nicholas. Why do you think _I_ became a carnivore?"

He was neither in the mood nor in the right mental state for guessing games. But he was curious.

"I have no idea," he mumbled.

"Well," Scarlet then began her story, "my sister and I grew up here in Ferndale. Prey animals outnumbered us predators by thirty to one. And I guess you probably know for yourself how a poor little female fox is treated if she's the only predator in a class packed with hillbilly bulls, rams and boars…"

Nick realized that he knew exactly what she was talking about, but decided not to interrupt her for now.

"Anyway," Scarlet went on, "my sister was known as _Ginger Julie_ throughout most of grade school. And guess what nickname I myself got when I reached high school? The other mammals were so jealous of my good grades they thought that there just had to be something suspicious about it. Especially with me being, you know... a vixen. And so, I was called _Scarlet the Harlot_."

That was a particularly nasty alias, even compared with the many ones Nick used to be dubbed with. But when she saw the frown appearing on his face, the female laughed.

" _Ha!_ Good one, huh? The people here take specieism to a whole new level sometimes. I'm really glad to be away, studying in Zootopia right now. I study biology, by the way. But sorry, I digress. Back to my question- why do you think I ultimately started eating those who used to pick on me and my sister, _hm?_ "

"Well, that's kinda obvious," Nick answered her. "You did that to get even. You wanted to have revenge."

A strange smile appeared on the vixen's face. At first she didn't answer, instead grabbing her tail and playing with the fur on its tip. Then, she walked over to the ash tray, and placed the butt of her cigarette there.

"You know, many animals think the way you do," she then responded, standing on the side of the fox's bed. "I don't blame you, because it's easy to jump to conclusions when you're observing the whole matter from the outside. I used to be that way as well. Back when Julia was trying to convince me to become a carnivore like her, we would argue about that all the time."

"What, do you mean to tell me that you don't hunt prey out of vengeance?" Nick inquired, her words confusing him.

Scarlet continued to smile.

"Oh no, not at all! It took me some time to understand how _Butcher's Den_ really worked, but eventually I found out that the predators over here do not believe in the _eye for an eye, fang for a fang_ rule. Didn't Oscar tell you that already? I'm sure he did. We don't kill prey out of hate! We don't even do that because many of them hate _us_! They've been oppressing us for centuries, but that's not why we want to start hunting them again. Sympathy and antipathy have nothing to do with it. I've forgiven my school friends for being jerks a long time ago. If I met any of them in the street right now, and sometimes I do, I'd just say hello and keep walking. I wouldn't pounce at them with bared fangs! I know a lot of predators who are jerks even as adults. Sure, we don't eat other predators… But the only reason why we _do_ eat prey animals is that they _are_ prey animals- because they're below us in the food chain. It's pure biology, nothing more. And if you've eaten your rabbit friend, it wasn't because you suddenly started hating her. No. You were a carnivore, and she was a prey animal. You did that just in order to satisfy your hunger. Period. No use thinking about it any longer."

After hearing Scarlet's explanation, Nick became even more confused. Sure, he understood what she was saying. To a certain degree, he felt that she was right, especially when it came to him and his partner… But still, the radical opposition of his conscience made him feel angry toward both the vixen and himself. His mixed feelings making him incapable of delivering a proper answer, he just sighed, and also butted his smoke in the ash tray.

"It ain't that easy," he whispered afterward.

"I know, I know…" Scarlet tried to console him. "Words won't do you much good right now. You need time. You need to know us better. Eventually, it'll become natural, and these truths by which we live will also be evident to you. Then the weight will be lifted."

Standing by the bedside shelf, she poured a glass of water and passed it to Nick.

"Here. You gotta drink a lot of fluids. That's what the vet said."

He accepted the drink, as his throat was dry from stress and smoking. When he handed her the glass back, she asked:

"So, what else do you want to talk about?"

The fox wondered. Remembering that he'd been asleep for the past two days, he became curious about what had been going on during that time.

"What's going on? Where's Butcher?" he inquired.

"Oh, that's right!" the female gasped. "You don't know anything!"

"Don't know anything about _what?_ "

Scarlet then took her phone out of her pocket, and after finding something online, turned the screen so that Nick could see it.

"What's this?" he asked, startled.

" _This_ is a video which has been released in all of the major TV stations in Zootopia shortly after your hunt," the vixen announced with pride. "One of our friends is a hacker. He managed to jam the satellites somehow, and made the stations show this video in prime-time, right before the daily news! ZNN, Channel 7… all of 'em!"

In utter astonishment, the fox observed a screen which displayed the depictions of several natural food chains, changing every couple of seconds. There was one with grass, an antelope, and a lion. Then, one with grain, a mouse, and a cat. And finally, the one he knew well- a carrot, a rabbit, and a fox.

In the background, morphed with the use of computer technology, there thundered a voice he barely recognized as that of Oscar Fangley. What Butcher said to the inhabitants of Zootopia sent shivers down Nick's spine.

" _I am speaking to all of the predators whom this message will reach_ ," the monotone voice delivered the terrifying announcement. _"Many of you may have heard rumors of the existence of a certain group, which has mistakenly been dubbed a criminal syndicate. This group is known as Butcher's Den. It is said that its members, following their natural instincts and the ways of their ancestors, engage in the hunting of prey animals, and in the consumption of flesh. I am speaking to you today in order to inform you that all those rumors you have heard are true._ "

"Oh my God…" Nick uttered under his breath, only able to guess what kind of chaos that kind of revelation had for the society of his city…

But the message was not over yet.

" _I am the one who is known as Butcher,_ " Fangley continued, _"and today, I would like to encourage all of you to look into yourselves. Embedded in your own bloodstream, there is an order which had been violated since the day prey animals and predators came together to found the city of Zootopia. A city planted on a false peace, coming at the cost of carnivores surrendering their natural right to hunt and feed on prey. This right which is still yours, even though you may not realize it, or fear what the consequences of embracing it may be. Today, I invite you to cast away that fear, and join us in our battle to restore the natural order. If we unite, we will create a force capable of accomplishing this task. We already are an army, which will only continue to grow. Search for us, and you will find your freedom again. Do not shrink from the opposition of the majority. Be proud to be predators. Be brave to be carnivores."_

The video ended, and the fox took a look at the view count. It exceeded the number of 200 million. By now, any animal which had not seen it on TV, had either viewed it online, or at least heard about it.

Nick gave Scarlet her phone back.

"No way to turn this around now..." he mumbled grimly.

"No," answered the vixen. "Our recruiters have got their paws full. Many new members have entered already, but we still have to be extremely careful. Police are running around, sniffing everywhere they can, although they have no idea where to look. We know that a large percentage of Zootopia's predators are on our side, however."

"How many?" he demanded to know, feeling as if something were choking him.

"About one-third of them, maybe… we're not sure. We know that this number is growing, however."

She clicked on another video, and presented to Nick a footage which reported of riots all around the city. To his shock, the fox saw predators and prey animals fighting each other in the streets.

"Now check _this_ out!" Scarlet said with a note of true pride, showing him a newsfeed. "It's from last evening."

He saw a rather distraught male zebra reporter, delivering the message in a shaky voice.

 _"The massive prison break which erupted at the_ _Zootopia Central Metropolitan Penitentiary_ _ _shortly after the illegal carnivorist transmission from yesterday_ , continues. The guards and police are doing their best to take back the building, although it appears that the mutinous inmates have by now been able to seize control over most of the complex. We have no information regarding casualties, but we know for a fact that the predators were able to reach the cell of Dawn Bellwether, the ex-mayor of Zootopia, who had been the leader of the prey supremacist movement which had been exposed and stopped by the ZPD four years ago. Bellwether was dragged out of her cell by the predators, who are apparently supporters of the carnivorist cause, and then mauled to death..."  
_

The vixen paused the video and looked at Nick with a delighted smirk.

"The meek little lamb got what she deserved," she said with satisfaction.

Nick continued to gaze at her, stunned by what she had just revealed to him...

"But... this is complete _chaos_!" he gasped. "Those savage idiots... they don't stand a chance! If one-third of Zootopia's predators support carnivorism, they're still outnumbered thirty times!"

"And what are the prey animals gonna do?" the vixen asked smugly. "Put all of them in jail? Shoot them? No. By now, our cause is out of the underground for good. No one can deny it. Besides, Zootopia believes in freedom of speech- they can't do anything with those who only support us. The vast majority are not killing prey in the streets, obviously! Butcher says that, eventually, we'll convince all of the predators to join. And then, we'll be able to take control of the city."

"If there's anything left of it, at that point!" the male snarled at her angrily. "Fangley assured me the he didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed!"

"Hey, you wanna make a proper burger? You gotta whack the cow on the head…" Scarlet sighed. "This is just a phase, Nick. Do you think I like it the way it is? Julia and I can't take Ezra out on a walk through the streets of Ferndale for fear of being hit on the head with a brick! But we have to keep fighting… Oscar is doing all he can over there, but we still have many obstacles to overcome. A whole herd of enemies… And this is why we need _you._ "

" _What?!_ " he turned toward her, outraged. "What do you still need _me_ for?"

The vixen sighed, and rolled her eyes.

" _Uh,_ why must you act like such a little kit? Don't you get it yet? Our worst adversary is the ZPD! We haven't been able to turn a single police officer to our side, even though most of them are predators. That is, until _you_ became one of us. You need to put your uniform back on and go back to Zootopia, Nick! All of us fear that the cops will suddenly break down the doors, guns blazing, and put all of us to sleep. Then our struggle would be for nothing. With your help, however…"

" _Stop it!_ " he cut her off, furious. "What, do you expect me to just return to my station as if nothing happened, and then start secretly turning my colleagues into carnivores? How do you think I should do that? By frying their donuts in animal fat?!"

He continued to pant after he was done screaming, and Scarlet gave him a few moments to calm down.

"This is important. You know that," she then said rather sadly. "If you tried, I know you'd be able to think of a way to at least get the police off our tails. You know them, you know how they work. You know that whole damn city! I understand how terribly we treated you at first, but trust me… We need your help. All of us are putting our hopes in you, even Oscar. Please, don't turn your back on us now…"

Nick was sorry for making her feel that way. And, immediately afterward, he reproofed himself for that remorse.

"Don't try to toy with my emotions, _miss Vixey_!" he warned her.

Those words made her gaze him in the eyes with even more sorrow…

"Do you think this is all a show?" whimpered the female. "That I'm just another foxy con artist, sent here to trick you? No, you're wrong. But perhaps, we were wrong about you, as well… Maybe _you_ are the con artist, and you've never actually joined us, really…"

"Ah, stop it! You saw me eating my prey, didn't you? I already gave Butcher his pound of flesh!" Nick kept speaking in anger.

When Scarlet didn't answer, the two foxes just continued staring at one another. They were both internally distraught… but they could sense that neither of them was lying.

"What can I do for you?" asked the male after he eventually turned to gaze at the wall.

"For now, get healthier," she answered passionlessly. "You shouldn't walk for at least a couple more days. But there is also something you can tell me right now, as long as you are willing to…"

"And what's that?"

"Can't you remember? I already asked you this when we met for the first time."

Indeed, now he could recal. Scarlet wanted to know the name of the traitor who led him and his partner to _Butcher's Den_.

"Yeah, I know…" he mumbled.

" _Please!_ " the female looked at him pleadingly, which she'd not done ever before. "We're all in great danger! Now that all of Zootopia knows that _Butcher's Den_ really exists, every cop on the planet who isn't busy trying to stop the riots, is looking for us. And if there's someone out there who told you about where to find us… what's keeping that person from informing others?"

Actually, the fox estimated that his fellow carnivore was right. And that meant that also his own life was now at stake...

After a few more moments of inner struggle, Nick sighed, and then stated the name.

" _Mathilda Blacktail_. She lives in the Hive. 2612 Fly Street, apartment 26D… if I recall correctly. Careful, though. She's dangerous…"

All of a sudden, Scarlet grabbed his paw and held it tightly.

" _Hey!_ " he exclaimed. "Now you watch out for my cannula!"

The vixen did not pay attention to what he was saying to her, and instead focused on expressing her gratitude.

"Thank you _so much!_ You've no idea how much this means to us! I'll call Oscar right away and tell him to send someone to get rid of her before she can do any more harm. That treacherous she-wolf… I always thought she was scary, and when she just vanished one day, I just knew that there was something suspicious about it!"

But that made Nick remember something else. Meaning, the promise he had once made to a certain crime lord…

"Wait, Scarlet!" he suddenly burst out. "This is not as easy as it seems!"

" _Huh?_ " wondered the female, seeing as his ears fell.

Nick then confessed the whole truth to her, frowning in dismay.

"If we have Mathilda killed… it's gonna be the start of an avalanche! A war you just don't wanna fight! See, we didn't find Mathilda by ourselves… We were led to her."

"By whom?" asked Scarlet, herself visible concerned.

"Have you ever heard of Mr. Big?"

"That wealthy little bigshot from Tundratown?"

" _Yes!_ But he's much more than just a businessman… He's the head honcho of the local mafia, and commands dozens of powerful underlings. Mathilda Blacktail used to work for him as a hired assassin. That's how Mr. Big found out about _Butcher's Den_ in the first place. When she left, he took her under his wing… but he doesn't take kindly to carnivores. If anything happens to Mathilda, he'll go savage on our rumps!"

Opening her eyes wide, Scarlet gasped in deep concern.

"I need to report all of this to Butcher!" she announced, reaching for her phone.

" _No!_ " Nick stopped her. "I'll tell him myself when he comes back. I don't think either Mathilda or Mr. Big will do anything immediately, so I guess we're safe, for now…"

There was something else on his mind, however. And he needed to tell her that, as well. A little voice inside of him still told him not to do it, but in the end, he knew that it was already far too late to go back. If he didn't do anything at this point, the lives of many more would be at risk. And he did not want to be responsible for any more bloodshed than necessary.

"I know how to get Mr. Big off your back," he announced to Scarlet, which made the vixen gaze at him in astonishment.

"How?" she inquired, full of expectations.

The fox then turned his head toward the uniform which lay on the chair by his bedside.

"I'm just really gonna have to put that on again. I'll crawl back to my police station, tell everyone about how I'd been abducted, starved and beaten, that my partner and best friend was killed… and that all of that was Mr. Big's fault."

Raising a brow curiously, Scarlet smiled ever so slightly… And then she demanded to hear the details of Nick's plan.

"Do continue, please!"

"Well," the fox asked her, lying on his pillow more comfortably, "you said you studied biology, didn't you? In that case, can you tell me what does an arctic shrew eat?"

"Arctic shrews are insectivores… but they did also consume meat, back in the day."

"And is it possible for an arctic shrew to develop a taste for flesh?"

Seeing the ingenuity of his plan, the vixen exhibited a wide grin.

"Yes, it _is_ possible."

"There you go, then," Nick concluded. "I'll tell the ZPD that Mr. Big is the Butcher. Believing their fellow officer, they'll go to his house, and find a lot of ferrocious polar bears walking around the property. And when I tell them to search the frozen lake under the mansion… they'll also find a lot of dead bodies, ready to be thawed and consumed. Mr. Big and his goons will end up behind bars, whereas you'll be free to take care of Mathilda. And afterwards, to continue your work in secret."

Glaring at him with true satisfaction, the vixen corrected him.

"You meant to say, _our_ work."

"Yeah, whatever…" he mumbled back without returning her smile.

"I'm curious about one more thing, though. Since when do cops associate with bosses of local mafias?"

The fox snorted.

"I've never exactly been a perfect cop, Scarlet… And, as I'm sure you understand, I don't intend to be one in the future. Mr. Big almost had me killed at one point. I'm sorry to say, but I personally still believe in _eye for an eye, fang for a fang_ sometimes…"

"I'm sure it'll be for the good of all of us," she said to cheer him up.

Relaxing his head on the pillow and exhaling deeply, almost completely drained by the things he'd learned and the decisions he'd made, the fallen cop closed his eyes…

And then he felt someone's presence on the other side of the door.

"Who's that?" he sprang up suddenly, making the vixen turn the other way.

The door opened slightly, and the voice of what seemed to be a very young animal came from the other side of it.

"Aunt Scarlet? Did Mr. Wilde wake up already?"

"Yes, Ezra," the female answered her sister's son. "You can come in."

The twelve-year-old fox marched into the room, bearing a big smile on his face. He was wearing the uniform of a posh Zootopia private school, and carrying some sort of a package in his paws. When he stood by the side of Nick's bed, he gazed at him as if he were his idol, ignoring the fact that his appearance was disfigured by malnutrition and many injuries.

"I'm so glad to see that you're okay, Mr. Wilde!" said the kit, making the fox feel extremely awkward. "I brought you a present!"

He then placed the package he was holding on Nick's lap.

"Ezra's been keeping vigils by the door, waiting to finally be able to give this to you," Scarlet revealed to him, jerking the hair on top of her nephew's head.

"Uh, thanks, kid…" the fox mumbled back, forcing a smile.

Then Ezra noticed something.

"Sir! You haven't eaten your breakfast yet!" the kit pointed toward the plate which stood on the shelf. "You've got to have something, you haven't had real food since your hunt! You need protein in your system, or at least that's what my mom always tells me."

Sure, Nick did feel very hungry. But the rodent meat sandwich still did not appeal to him…

" _Nah_ , maybe later," he refused. "How about yourself? Have you had breakfast already?"

Not waiting for Ezra to answer, he grabbed the plate, and put it in front of the young fox's nose.

"Here," he said.

Unsure what to do, the perplexed kit looked toward his aunt.

"Go ahead, but you can just take one," the vixen gave him her consent.

Laughing merrily, the young fox grabbed one of the four pieces of the sandwich, and bit into it with delight.

"Hey, thanks a lot, Mr. Wilde!" he said with his mouth full.

"Don't mention it," Nick uttered a bit more merrily, and then turned to Scarlet. "So where are his parents?"

"They're in Zootopia," answered the vixen. "Oscar's taking care of the expansion of _Butcher's Den_ , so he's not even been coming back home for the night. As for my sister, Julia's at work, as usual. Which is why I have to drive Ezra to school right now."

" _Awww_ , do we really have to go?" whined the kit.

"You know we do, cowboy," she stooped down to fix his little tie. "Look at the time. We've gotta go now, or else you'll be late. And besides, Officer Wilde still needs a lot of rest."

She then stood up again, and addressed Nick.

"When I'm back, we'll talk more about your plan. It's _very_ interesting… For now, stay here and relax, and if you need anything, just call doc Katzenhaus."

Both her and Ezra then delivered their goodbyes. Before they exited the room, however, the vixen turned to him one last time.

"Nicholas," she called him.

"Yeah?"

"It's good to have you on board…"

He did not say anything in response.

Finally left alone, he kept staring at the ceiling fan for a while, his mind completely hollow and devoid of all emotions or thoughts.

Then he remembered the present he got. Examining the package, he found it to be a large item wrapped in packaging paper. He used his claws to rip it open…

… and felt a familiar scent.

Inside the package was a pouch, similar to the ones used by the members of _Butcher's Den_ when they didn't wear clothes. The one he got was newly made from the beautiful grey fur of a _Sylvilagus audubonii_.

A cottontail rabbit.

His paws shaking and his heart hammering as the scent of the fur made him feel hunger again, he mumbled to himself the words which Chief Bogo had addressed him with at the very start of this case.

" _Officer Wilde, you have not even began to scratch the surface of the definition of trouble…"_

Setting the pouch aside, he reached for a piece of his sandwich. He then bit into it voraciously with the side of his mouth where he still had all his fangs intact.

* * *

THE END

* * *

 **AN: This gruesome AU chapter is inspired by the final scene of the book** _ **Fight Club**_ **(the** _ **novel**_ **, not the** _ **movie**_ **) and, of course, is deliberately similar to chapter 20 of my original story. Compare them if you will, and see the differences in mentality between carnivores and Zootopians.**

 **So what will happen now? Did Nick really fully adopt the idea of _integral naturalism_ , or is he still on the fence with that, despite having developed an appetite for meat? Will he and Scarlet end up in a relationship? Will the carnivores, with Nick's help, be able to win against a vast majority of adversaries, and seize control over Zootopia? Or is there going to be a gang war between _Butcher's Den_ and Mr. Big's mafia? I leave answering those questions to your imagination.**

 **Which ending did you like better? Make sure to let me know XD Thanks for reading, everyone!**

* * *

 **P.S. - Please check out the sequel, 'An Aftertaste of Blood', which follows the original version of the ending.  
**


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